GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Feb 6: The two-month-long Budget session of the Assam Assembly began on Tuesday. On the first day of the session, the Governor, Prof Jagdish Mukhi, in his address to the House dwelt on the State Government’s initiative to do away with red tap so that a red carpet could be laid for prospective investors.
“Assam is moving up on the scale of ease of doing business, and a message has gone to the investors that red tape has given way to red carpet here. My Government will do its best to sustain the momentum generated by this summit (Global Investors’ Summit),” the Governor said.
Veering away to the burning issue of illegal immigration that has ragged the State for long, he said the Government is taking the steps required to deter fresh influx. “My Government is taking the necessary steps to curb any fresh illegal infiltration into the State. For this purpose, we are working closely with the Central Government to find and implement technology-based solutions for sealing the riverine intertiol borders as well, in addition to the measures already under way for the sealing the land borders, and other measures in this regard,” he said, adding the State Government has reconstituted the Cabinet Sub-Committee that will also examine the issues relating to Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
Allaying the security concerns of people living in areas bordering other States, the Governor pointed to the Government’s objective of providing adequate security to such populations. “My Government aims to provide all-round development and to instill a sense of security to the border populations. Steps have been taken to reach out to the neighbouring States of Aruchal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram,Tripura, galand and West Bengal,” he said.
On the creation of a new Department of Act East Policy Affairs to help the State realize the full potential of the Centre’s Act East Policy, he said, “My Government has created this department to act as a stakeholder integrator, policy generator, and expeditious implementor of key projects for meaningful engagement with our neighbours in South Asia and Southeast Asia, within the larger objective of economic integration of the northeastern region with ASEAN countries and seamless connectivity with them. A session was devoted to the North East India Economic Ties with ASEAN countries in the just concluded Global Investment Summit.”
However, as soon as the Governor touched the subject of law and order and said the law-and-order situation in the State has improved in recent times, the Opposition, comprising the Congress and the AIUDF, protested by raising a hue and cry, castigating the Government for its total failure in restoring normalcy. The noisy situation that followed forced the Governor to cut short his speech after he had delivered it for around 15 minutes. He concluded his address to the house by reading out the last lines of his speech.