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Gogoi for CBI probe into Ram killing, terms US visit fruitful

GUWAHATI: Caught in a Catch-22 situation, Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, is willing to hand over the probe into the killing of Phul Chand Ram to the CBI but has said that this will not stop the flow of investments into the state.

Talking to the reporters on Monday, Mr Gogoi says his government will soon order a CBI inquiry into the crossfire which left the FCI executive director Dr Ram killed.

“We are always against allowing rebel groups to hold people for ransom by kidnapping officials and setting conditions for their safe release. I rejected the plea of the Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar to release ULFA top guns Mrinal Hazarika and Pallab Chetia for release of Dr Ram as I thought it will set a wrong precedence. Also there will be no meaning of the crackdown against the militants,” says Mr Gogoi.

Saying Dr Ram’s death is a tragic one, the Chief Minister admitted that the police had no prior information that Ram was inside the house of Gobinda Deka at Borka-Panitema village in Kamrup district.

Mr Gogoi said that he has asked all the officials of
Central Govt undertakings in the state to remain alert.
The Chief Minister is confident that it would not have any adverse impact on investors who are evincing keen interest to invest in
Assam.

He also spoke on his recent trip to
New York and London. Terming the visit a successful one, the Chief Minister said I aim at having a direct contact with prospective investors. We are interested in setting up waterways authority in the state like the British Waterways Authority which is why we have invited British Waterways Authority CEO Robin Evans to visit us to provide us technical expertise in developing the waterways authority.

“Another British company is also interested in the insurance sector in
Assam, but we will have to think over the matter first. The Prince’s Charities Foundation of the UK has also been invited to the state so as to help promote organic farming,” says Mr Gogoi.

Besides these, according to the Chief Minister many British and US Companies are interested to enter into
Assam’s health, hydrocarbon and art and culture sectors. A New York based company has also indicated that it wants to construct a tunnel under the river Brahmaputra.

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