Gogoi to ULFA: Whose interest do you serve?

By our Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, June 30: Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said with active support from foreign power, ULFA ‘commander-in-chief” Paresh Barua has converted Asom into a battle field. “By killing innocent people in the State, whose interest do you want to serve, Asom’s or ISI’s?” Gogoi questioned Paresh Barua.Talking to newsmen in Guwahati today, Gogoi said in the last few days, seven people were killed and over 90 injured. “All these were innocent people. This is cowardice,” Gogoi said, and added: “Even the ULFA leaders know it better that sovereignty of Asom is not possible as the people of the State don’t want it. Sovereignty is just a pretext of the outfit’s leaders to derail the peace process. When the PCG was about to pave the way for peace talks between the ULFA and the Government, the leaders of the outfit raised the issue of sovereignty in order to derail the peace process.”The Chief Minister appealed to the civil society of the State yet again to come forward and create a congenial atmosphere for peace talks between the Centre and the ULFA. Gogoi, however, excluded the PCG from the civil society of the State on the ground that the group works at the diktat of the ULFA that constituted it, and not in accordance with the wish of the people of the State. On the unilateral ceasefire announced by the ULFA’s 28 Battalion, Gogoi said: “It’s a good sign, but the AGP and the BJP are against it.” On former Chief Minister Prafaulla Kumar Mahanta’s statement that the Government should not play any divide-and-rule policy while initiating peace talks with the ULFA, he said: “Surrender and ceasefire are a continuous process in the State. So far about 13,000 militants have surrendered in Asom and it can’t be termed as a divide-and-rule policy.”On the unilateral ceasefire announced by the ULFA’s 28 Battalion, Gogoi said: “We haven’t received the terms and conditions of the ceasefire officially as yet. After getting it, we will see how the peace process can be carried forward.”When asked whether the recent spate of violence in Asom is the outcome of the announcement of unilateral ceasefire by 28 Battalion, Gogoi replied in the negative. “The ULFA triggered such blasts even when the outfit was not divided. The outfit is triggering such blasts so as to make its presence felt.”On the report of a study conducted by some NGOs that Asom is among the most corrupt States of the country, Gogoi said: “If Asom is so corrupt, how could all these developmental works take place in the State? I, however, don’t mean Asom is a totally corruption-free State. The State Government is trying to check corruption.”Taking a dig at former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Gogoi said: “It doesn’t sound pleasant when Mahanta talks of corruption. After all, he is the main man behind the multi-crore-rupee LoC scam though he was not issued charge sheet due to some technical reasons. If anybody in the State Assembly wants to reopen the LoC scam, I am ready to open it.”Gogoi said that as asked by AICC’s Asom in-charge M Veerappa Moily, he would ask the ministers of his Cabinet to submit reports of their assets within two months. When asked if the reports would be made public, Gogoi said: “The public can get them through the RTI Act.”On the Indo-US nuclear deal, Gogoi said he is in favour of signing the deal. “If the UPA Government’s stand on the nuclear deal leads to early Lok Sabha polls in the country, I am ready for it. In fact, I have already geared up for the Lok Sabha polls,” he added. source: sentinel assam

State ministers asked to submit list of assets

State ministers asked to submit list of assets

By Our Correspondent GUWAHATI, June 27 – Senior Congress leader and party in-charge, Assam, Veerappa Moily has asked the Congress Ministers in Assam to submit their respective statement of assets and liabilities to the Chief Minister. This comes after the arrest of former State Education Minister Ripun Bora by the CBI, while he was allegedly trying to offer bribe to a CBI official in New Delhi. Though Moily did not make any comment on Bora, he, however said that ‘the law will take its own course’ He further stated that a suggestion has been made during a meeting with the Congress leaders, on making the filing of the statement of assets and liabilities compulsory by passing the same in the State Assembly as it is done in some of the other States.Moily was speaking to the media persons here at the Circuit House today. On the ‘tainted’ Ministers of the State, he said, “Charges against the Ministers would be there and the party leadership could react only if some concrete evidences are produced.”Moily while underscoring the need for a better co-ordination between the party and the ruling Government, especially the Ministers, stated, “I want a better relationship between the party workers and the Ministers and so I have urged the Ministers to make regular visits to the party offices.”The senior Congress leader also expressed satisfaction over the unilateral ceasefire declared by the leaders of the ULFA’s 28th battalion and appealed the other members to come forward for talks as well. Moily also divulged that during the manifesto committee meeting with the party members, it was revealed that as far as equality between the urban and the rural population in Assam is concerned, Assam is presently ranked number one.On the concerns voiced by Assam over the proposed mega hydel projects in Arunachal Pradesh, he said that the issue would be discussed with the Union Irrigation Minister soon. He further stated that a host of other core issues were discussed during his meeting with the party members and leaders including Assam Accord implementation, setting up of development councils for ethnic communities, welfare of the minorities, tea tribes and other backward communities.“Issues like infrastructure development, power scenario, health, education, employment generation and filling up of backlog of vacancies for ST and SC were discussed,” informed Moily.The Congress executive committee meeting discussed at length the execution of the loan waiving scheme announced by the Central Government recently. Source: assam tribune

Congress will go ahead with N-deal: Moily

Congress will go ahead with N-deal: Moily

June 25, 2008 23:01 IST
Even as Left parties stuck to their firm opposition to Indo-US nuclear deal, the Congress on Wednesday struck an aggressive posture, saying it was going ahead with the agreement with the timing of its choice.

"We are going ahead with the deal. That is very clear. And the timing is ours. We will choose our own time," senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily told NDTV.

His remarks came soon after the UPA-Left Committee meeting failed to end the deadlock between the two sides on the issue.

However, notwithstanding the standoff, he said, "We are confident that logic and rationale will be driven home to Left parties. We will put the country's national interest foremost than their party agenda."

Suggesting that all attempts were made to bring Left parties on-board on the issue, Moily said "they have lot of apprehensions and we should also give them the space".

"Not that we bulldoze our decision like that in a coalition arrangements like this. We are taking steps one by one. We are really gaining ground to the extent that we are driving home the issues to the Left parties from the beginning", he said.

Asked what was stopping the Congress from going ahead with the deal, he said the party had never said that the decision would be taken today itself.

Centre firm to implement Accord: Sonia

By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, June 13 – Asserting that the Centre was committed to implementing the Assam Accord in its all aspects, Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today and said that farmers’ interests and rural development were two key areas of focus of the UPA Government. Addressing a ‘State-level Kisan Rally’ (farmers’ rally) at the Khanapara Veterinary College playground in the city, Gandhi said that the Congress had all along been striving for development of the State and that it was duty-bound to implement the Assam Accord. “We are committed to implementing the Assam Accord in its different aspects – be it development or checking infiltration,” she said. Gandhi said that modernization of agriculture had been a top priority for the UPA Government and that more funds would be pumped in to boost the sector. Terming the Rs 70,000-crore loan waiver for farmers of the country as a landmark move, she said that the BJP-led NDA Government had done nothing for the farmers. Reiterating its commitment to protect the State from flood and erosion, the Congress president said that the recommendations of the flood task force were being implemented to check the menace. Claiming that the UPA Government was successful in arresting a possible steeper hike in oil prices, Gandhi said that fuel prices in India were still much lower than in its neighbouring countries. “While the BJP was in power, oil price in the international market was Rs 30-40 a barrel which is now Rs 130-140 a barrel. The recent hike, therefore, was inevitable but is still comparatively low considering the unprecedented hike in the international market,” she reasoned. In a veiled reference to the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal, Gandhi said that the changing circumstances made it imperative that prospects of nuclear energy were explored to meet growing power needs. “Nuclear energy has gained much importance in view of the steep rise in global oil prices,” she said.Gandhi had a word of praise for the self-help group (SHG) movement in the State, saying that with 80 per cent woman participation, the nearly 1.5 lakh SHGs of Assam were giving a fillip to woman entrepreneurship in villages. Gandhi further said that the ambitious Bharat Nirman project would change the face of the villages in terms of infrastructure and amenities. Gandhi also said that the Centre accorded priority to the development of minority communities and had set up a special ministry for them. Earlier, the UPA chairperson recalled the sacrifices of the farming community in India’s freedom struggle, and dwelt specifically on the farmers’ revolts of Assam at Patharughat and Phulaguri. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Veerappa Moily, Union Ministers Santosh Mohan Dev and Bijoy Krishna Handique, senior leader Margaret Alva and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhubaneswar Kalita were present at the dais. Earlier, Sonaram Bardoloi and Deepali Senapati, two model farmers, felicitated Sonia Gandhi. Source: assam tribune