Water-logging has silenced Sonowal, Himanta: Gogoi

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 15: Stating that the presence of the government at Dispur is felt only in facebook and twitter, former State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said that the recent artificial flood in Guwahati has silenced GDD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Gogoi addressed the media at Rajiv Bhawan in the city today. “Where’s Himanta Biswa Sarma? Nobody knows where he’s. The artificial floods in the city have silenced him. Where was Himanta when artificial floods ravaged Guwahati on June 13? He got no time to inquire when five people lost their lives in the city. When there were floods in the city during my regime, I myself visited the affected areas only to face the wrath of the public. Why doesn’t Sonowal visit the flood-hit areas in the city? This government holds mami Brahmaputra. It’s out to dredge the Brhmaputra now even as it hasn’t yet dredged the Bharalu.”

Targeting Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal, Gogoi said: “This is a chief minister who only issues orders but does nothing. He has ordered repair of tiol highways in the State. The tiol highways in the State are yet to be renovated. He has asked for the repair of embankments, but his order has been ignored. Despite his instructions prices of cement, sand and other construction materials are on the rise.”

Reacting to the government’s inclition towards facebook, Gogoi said: “In our regime, unlike Sonowal Government, we didn’t get time to give any post on facebook and twitter.”

On corruption, Gogoi said: “Even as the government claims that corruption has come down in the State, corruption is very much there. How come the Chief Minister flies in helicopter every now and then?  Sonowal used a chartered flight from gpur to Guwahati after attending the RSS meeting there the other day. Where the funds came from?”

On artificial floods in the State, Gogoi said: “People of the State saw if there was any improvement in the flood scene when we were in power. People of the State will also say if the situation of artificial floods in the city has to be improved now or not. However, when there were floods during our regime the Congress was held responsible. Strangely enough, when there are floods in the city during the BJP regime contractors and officials are held responsible, not the likes of Sarbanda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma.”

On the BJP campaign for the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) polls, Gogoi said: “The Chief Minister, ministers and MLAs are busy with the poll. In the past 15 years, I hardly campaign for one or two days in polls.”

Gogoi further said that the people of the State should realize that the BJP government in the State runs only in paper. “In fact the defeat of the Congress in the last Assembly election in the State is a blessing in disguise. There should be changes in democracy. Had the Congress won the last Assembly polls, the people of the State would have blamed the Congress for the recent artificial floods. It was I who first said that artificial floods in Guwahati can’t be elimited. It can only be controlled. Even after change of power in the State, as to why there are artificial floods in the State? The people of the State should realize this fact. Additiol Chief Secretary MGVK Bhanu was very vocal in our days in putting an end to water-logging in the city. Where’s he now? Has he gone hiding?”