Hand over all syndicate cases to CBI: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC)

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, July 16: The Assam PCC on Monday demanded the BJP-led Government to hand over all cases relating syndicate raj to the CBI for investigations.

The demand came close on heels of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday directed senior state officials to take necessary steps for handing over the multi-crore Barak Valley coal scam or syndicate raj to the CBI. Under the Barak syndicate raj, coal loaded on trucks was ferried from the Barak Valley in Assam through Meghalaya for several years to evade tax and thereby causing huge loss to the state exchequer.

“Besides Barak valley coal syndicate there are syndicates on various commodities including pan and supari. Such syndicates are existing despite the tall claims of the Sarbananda Sonowal government to adopt zero tolerance policy against corruption. So we demand handing over all syndicate related cases to CBI for probe,” APCC president Ripun Bora said while addressing a press conference here on Monday.

Bora said installation of toll gate at Raha in Nagaon district to collect road tax is totally unjustified considering poor road condition and other facilities along highways in the State. “Rates being charged at the toll gate are exorbitant,” he said, adding that he as an MP has already written Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari to remove the toll gate.

Bora also alleged that the present BJP regime at Dispur is exerting pressure on the NRC authority to delete names of a large number people belonging to the religious minority group from the complete draft NRC to be published on July 30. He accused the State NRC coordinator of overriding the Supreme Court by issuing certain orders himself regarding NRC update. Bora has also written a letter to Union home minister Rajnath Singh on the NRC issue.