Assam won't get anything tangible from PM: Gogoi

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, July 31: Former State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said that he does not think Assam will get anything tangible from Prime Minister rendra Modi in his visit to the State.
The Prime Minister is going to visit Assam on August 1, 2017.  On the eve of the Prime Minister’s visit to the State Gogoi spit fire on the policy adopted by the NDA government at the Centre and its policy towards Assam. “Modi is coming to the State under pressure from the people of Assam, media and Opposition parties in the State. It would’ve been better had he come to the State on his own,” Gogoi said.
On tackling of floods in the State, Gogoi said: “We did try our best to make the North East Water Resources Authority (NEWRA) a reality. However, due to opposition from Aruchal Pradesh, it failed to see light of the day. Now the NDA Government has changed its me and come out with a new proposal. That’s also good for nothing.”
Gogoi further said: “The Centre did precious little to the rivers in Assam –be it the Brahmaputra or the Barak. Funds Assam gets for flood magement now are much less than what the State received when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. We’re yet to get even the Rs 1,200 crore flood magement programme (FMP) funds.”
Taking a dig at the governments at Dispur and New Delhi, Gogoi said: “They talk of dredging the Brahmaputra now. Let them show their guts by digging the Bharalu, Bhogdoi and Kakodonga first.”
On the State Government’s claim to have received Rs 300-crore State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) from the Centre, Gogoi said: “It’s a normal allocation of fund. We need much more than this to tackle floods in the State. They talked of ‘parivartan’ in the run-up to the elections. Now people have realized that’s a devastating ‘parivartan’. People of the State failed to get adequate relief materials during floods this year.”
On price index, the former chief minister said: “They did say that the prices of all commodities would fall in post-GST. Rather prices of many items have gone up now.”
On the ongoing investigation into the cash-for-job scam in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC), Gogoi said: “Let them inquire into the APSC selection list of 2016, if they’ve guts.”
When asked if he is keen to don the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) as its president and that his scion Gaurav Gogoi’s me is also doing the rounds for the post, Gogoi said: “I won’t take that responsibility now. Nor will Gaurav take it. It’s a rumour.”