Coordition among alliance partners lacking: PK Mahanta

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, July 8: Claiming lack of coordition among the alliance partners in the State government, senior AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today reiterated the need for a coordition committee.

At a press conference today, Mahanta insisted that the government, before going ahead with the decision to hike VAT rates, should have discussed it with the alliance partners.

"We are a regiol party. We can't put the interest of the people at stake," Mahanta said. The former CM also dismissed claims by a BJP spokesman that a move to privatize the State oilfields was first contemplated during the then Deve Gowda government at the Centre. The AGP was a partner in the Central government then.

"No such move was initiated during the Deve Gowda government. The Left parties were part of the government…how can they allow such a move? In fact, the privatization of oilfields was first mooted by the rasimha Rao-led Congress government in 1991-92. We had protested then," Mahanta said, asking the BJP spokesman to get his facts right before making public statements.

He said the people had voted for a change and "they should get it".

"When I was the CM, we had a coordition committee comprising members of the alliance partners. Even the then Deve Gowda government at the Centre had a coordition committee. Before taking any policy decision, matters are first discussed at this platform and later taken to the cabinet, so that there is no controversy later," the AGP leader added.