Cabinet expansion during Magh Bihu: BJP

2018 is the year of confidence and action for us: Ranjit Dass

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 5: Yet again the State BJP has raked up the issue of Cabinet expansion by Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal. The party feels that the Cabinet expansion is likely when Sonowal, who left for Singapore on Friday, returns to the State.

Sharing his opinion with the media at a programme organized at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati, State BJP president Ranjit Dass said: “The State Cabinet is going to be expanded sooner than later. I’ll take up the matter persolly with party’s tiol president Amit Shah who’s going to address party’s election rallies in Meghalaya and Tripura on January 6 and 7, 2018.”

Party sources said that since the Chief Minister is away, he is not supposed to meet Shah, and as such there cannot be any Cabinet expansion during that time. The State Cabinet has as many as eight ministers’ posts vacant. If there is any Cabinet expansion, that will be during the Magh Bihu.

On New Year resolutions, Dass said: “For us 2017 was the year of trust, and 2018 is the year confidence and action. Our government at Dispur is working on the assurances given to the people of the State in the last Assembly election. During 2018 the BJP is set to go ahead with its avowed activities defying all odds for the benefit of people of the State as it did during 2017. Fighting corruption was one of the assurances we gave to the people of the State. Going by that assurance, the Government at Dispur is working day in, day out. However, it’s not possible to uproot corruption that spread its roots deep in the past 60 years all at once. Fight against corruption is essentially a long row to hoe.” 

Enumerating some activities of the Government at Dispur, Dass said: “Apart from the relentless fight against corruption at all levels, Dispur has made admission free of cost for students, decided to supply textbooks at higher classes free of cost, special schemes taken up for divyangs, paid ex gratia to the family members of martyrs’ and jourlists killed by miscreants, distribution of tractors in revenue villages, etc.”

State BJP general secretary Dilip Saikia, chairpersons and vice chairpersons of various boards and corporations including Jayanta Mallah Baruah, Rupan Goswami, Muminul Aowal, Bikul Deka and other senior leaders of the party were also present at the programme.