Rakibul as ’agriculture minister’ has no takers among state farmers
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, January 25: Rakibul Hussain as ‘agriculture minister’ has no takers among the farmers of the state. The farmers of the state has warned that from February 5 next they will be agitating at full throttle if ‘corrupt’ Rakibul Hussain is given the agriculture portfolio.
In a statement issued to the press today, Krishak Sramik Unyan Parishad Assam (KSUPA) president Pradip Kalita said that taking huge amounts as commission from a number of centrally–sponsored schemes of the Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD), Hussain pushed the department towards uncertainty. “It is also suspected that he might be involved in the rampant killing of rhino in the state,” Kalita said, and added: “During Hussain’s stint as Forest Minister the forest in the state was destructed badly. How come such a corrupt minister do justice to the farmers?” Kalita said.
“Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has taken the farmers of the state by surprise when he picked corrupt Rakibul again in his new team of ministers, despite vehement opposition from the farmers of the state,” Kalita said, and added: “And now, reports are doing the rounds in the state that Rakibul Hussain will be given Agriculture. Isn’t is surprising?”
The KSKUP had demanded of the Chief Minister and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Anjan Dutta recently to remove ‘corrupt’ ministers Rakibul Hussain and zrul Islam from the list of ministers of the state before ming the new list.
Talking to newsmen in Guwahati recently, Kalita had said: “Corruption under Rakibul Hussain as the state P&RD and Forest and Environment ministers has been rampant. In gaon district, he has been getting commissions from around 50 central schemes like MGNERGA, DDP, TFC, IBS etc.”
Kalita had further said that under Rakibul as the state Forest Minister, rhino killing had been rampant. Illegally–run sand syndicates had also sprung up everywhere in the state during his tenure, he added.
Apart from the KSUPA, the Durniti Birodhi Mab Adhikar Suraksha Mancha (DBMASM) was also on record criticizing the forest minister recently by saying “The Wildlife Protection Act was ected in 1972. It was amended in 2009 so as to provide arms to forest guards. However, rhino killings could not be stopped. In such a backdrop, how come the minister claim himself to be a successful forest minister?”
The Mancha had further said: “Illegal syndicates collecting cash from sand–laden trucks could not be stopped in the state. In areas like Chhaygaon, Kukurmara etc., in South Kamrup such syndicates have been doing a roaring business. Each truck loaded with sand has to pay Rs 200 to the gates, and that leads to high prices of sand in the market.”