AIUDF stir against oilfield auction, VAT hike, ISIS

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 13: The AIUDF today staged a sit-in demonstration at Dighalipukhuripar in the city on as many as four issues – the move to hand over 12 oilfields of the State to private parties through open auction, one per cent hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) in the State, appropriate action against ISIS elements who have reportedly entered the State and total sealing of the border between India and Bangladesh in the Assam sector.

AIUDF leader Hafis Bashir Ahmed said: “Oil is attached to the sentiment of Assam. It was one of the issues of the Assam agitation in which as many as 885 people of the State were martyred.

Taking that into account, we want the oilfields of the State be handed over to the public sector companies, instead of handing them over to private ones.”

On the issue of price rise, AIUDF leader Aminul Islam said: “The people of the State had high hopes on the new BJP government in the State on its slogan of ‘change’. However, by hiking the prices of essential commodities in the State the State government has frustrated all. We, therefore, demand of the government at Dispur to rollback the VAT hike immediately.”

On the NIA report of ISIS elements entering the State, UDSF president Jehrul Islam said: “According to an NIA report, some ISIS elements have entered Assam from Bangladesh. Strong actions should be taken against the ISIS elements, and the border between and India should be sealed totally.”