Saikia draws CAG’s attention to bicycles lying undistributed

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 15: The Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debadrata Saikia today blamed it on the present dispensation at Dispur for not distributing the bicycles meant for tea estate girl students, who happen to attend classes from far off places. He said that the recovery of bicycles from various places in the State, including 575 two-wheelers from zira, was because of hoarding of two-wheelers by the preset Government at Dispur only to blame the Congress.

In a statement issued to the press today, Saikia said that the BJP Government talks so much on working for ‘Daridra rayan’. “In practice, it hasn’t done so. In this connection I would like to point out that during the period of Congress Government a scheme was launched to promote education in tea garden areas, especially for girl students. To do so, the Department of Tea and Ex-Tea Welfare provided bicycles for students who had to cover great distance for attending high schools. Accordingly, bicycles were allotted for various sub-divisions and beneficiary students to be selected by the headmaster concerned without any political intervention. The selected beneficiaries’ lists were approved by the Sub Divisiol Tea and Ex-Tea Welfare Board and bicycles were distributed. Unfortutely after the change of the Government, the BJP Government has stopped distribution of the bicycles already purchased for the students, depriving the selected students of their rightful dues, and also causing wasteful government expenditure by not distributing the bicycles among target beneficiaries and keeping them in godowns.” Saikia said that minister himself belonging to Tea and Ex Tea Garden Community and also former leader of a students’ organization, in spite of being aware of the fact, has not taken any steps to cancel this decision. “I have already pointed out this matter to the Minister, Tea and Ex Tea on July 5, 2016. Since no action was taken on the matter it was pointed out to the Chief Minister on October 28, 2016,” Saikia said, and added: “As no positive action has been noticed form the State Government, on February 6, 2017 I have asked the CAG, Assam to look into the matter and take suitable action.”