Skip to content Skip to navigation

Now Barak Valley demands separate economic development council

By Daya Nath Singh |



Being disillusioned by top-level corruption and slow pace of development in the Barak Valley, the southern-most part of the Assam state, the people have now raised demands for a separate economic development council for the region. Under the banner of Barak Valley Economic Development Council Demand Committee, the Central committee President, Kishore Kumar Bhattacharjee along with Karimganj unit chief, Jyotirmoy Das, Hailakandi unit chief, Mahibur Rahman Choudhury and Cachar unit chief, Nimai Sarma, submitted a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi in Guwahati during first week of this month demanding construction and improvement of roads under the area and early completion of Silchar- Lumding Broad-Gauge railway line. The copies of the memorandum have also been sent to the Chief Secretary of Assam and National Presidents of major political parties. It has been learnt that the chief minister agreed to go through the text and progress of works and assured considering the demands sympathetically.


The committee recalled that the communication in Barak valley was in shabbles and the road conditions were in dilapidated condition and worst due to the sub-standard work. The roads constructed or renovated in the region do not last more than six months due to poor construction. As a result the people suffer immensely and are very aggrieved. There is only one life line connecting road NH 44 from Silchar to Guwahati via Meghalaya and the rest of the country through the high hill areas with zigzag road and the journey is very tiresome and risky. The thousands of people who travel through this route are the worst sufferer. The committee demanded that the NH 44 from Digorkhal to Karimganj via Kalain and Badarpur should be completed expeditiously.


The committee leaders reiterated that the Government of India sanctioned a National Project for setting up of Silchar Lumding Broad-Gauge railway line in the year 1996 and till now around 30 percent of the works are completed during last twelve years, which should be completed without further delay.


Among other demands the committee informed that the Union government sanctioned another project for construction of East-West corridor from Silchar to Saurashtra via Guwahati and although the work started six years back it was stopped midway in North Cachar Hills areas due to subversive activities.


The power supply in Barak valley is also in the worst condition and therefore the committee demanded adequate power supply for the region. Committee’s other demands include construction of barrage over River Barak and other rivers of Barak valley for flood containment, irrigation and production of Hydro-electrical energy. Demands included for improvement, modernization and extension of agriculture and irrigation facilities in Barak Valley. The charter of demands includes setting up of micro, small and medium industries in the area and modernization of tea industry. Besides, the demands also included a separate secretariat and circuit branch of Gauhati High Court and Administrative Tribunal for Barak Valley. Extension and development of fishery in Barak valley and development of tourism also included in the charter of demands.



Comments

Rebati Mohan Simha's picture

Submitted by Rebati Mohan Simha on Fri, 30/04/2010 - 00:26
Recently, I been to Silchar,Hailakandi and Patherkandi in Karimganj district and saw the dilapidated condition of roads.While going to Shillong by road in Meghalayaya stae bus from silchar, I suffered a back-ache due to travelling on NH 44.In fact there was no sign of road till I reached Meghalaya border.Unless there is no good communication,there is no deveopment and it can be possible only when public raise their voice unitedly.Sorry to mention here that unity is not existing among ourselves.Corrupt politicians and Babus are taking undue advantage of public`s disunity.Only united voice can do miracle,separate Barak Valley Economic Development Council do very little.
H P Roychoudhury's picture

Submitted by H P Roychoudhury on Mon, 30/08/2010 - 13:25
I was a student of Karimganj College. I know the area a little if not more. But even after 50 years of my vision I do not see any development. Now communication is the main sector which you have high lighted is extremely a necessity at the outset. After wards the other activity will follow. I appreciate your endeavor for the development of the region. I am nothing but a person of lip sympathy and nothing else. I can only express a sigh of despair and nothing else. The sigh of agony and despair is in my heart as the place had nurtured my teenage period. Besides this I draw your attention and comment to a topic ‘NGO of Diba Roy’Silchar which as follows(Published on line at Silchar): Sir, If you want to know who I am, you must go to my profile [H P Roychoudhury, Google.com or orkut]. I am already a retired person of Cotton College who retired from all walks of life at the age of seventy and now only things left for him to see the benefit of common people and wish to poke about against corruption. I know one Mrs. Diba Roy who is bringing lot of money in the name of NGO, Angoan Bari, Silchar under the patronage of many big persons who are linked with her through money and other affairs and spending money for personal benefit in purchasing property at her own and her children’s name. By the time she had purchased a Flat at Guwahati and purchased land at Kolkata, Bangalore, and Delhi. She used to go to America very often in disguise and spent NGO’s money under the carpet of son’s money. She is enjoying a luxurious car and petrol in the name of NGO. This is how a widow (who fought with her husband legal suits at Silchar for divorce and finally it is publicly heard that he had been killed by she in the International Hospital, Guwahati by the no-no supply of essential requirements of the treatment), is exploiting the society and cheating the young girls under the pretext of treatment of advise for AIDS. I strongly recommend enquiring the facts before further sanctions for money for NGO and auditing the all expenditure by bringing auditor from outside because all local auditors can be purchased by her with money easily. She had maintained a so called Office by employing the people of her own relation to siphon money at ease.

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Pandu College - first Tobacco-free zone college in the North-east

‘Awareness’, Forum for legal and health awareness, a Non-Governmental Organization, celebrated World No-tobacco Day on May 31st last. The Forum with the support of LG Electronics India Ltd, Guwahati, organized and Anti-tobacco awareness campaign at Pandu College of the city as part of celebrations. Booklets having pictorials of health hazards of tobacco consumption and ill effects of tobacco consumption in any form were distributed among the participants of the campaign. Slide show presentation and slogan writing competitions were among the programmes that had been organized in the said campaign. NSS, Pandu College unit associated with the said campaign. The Forum awarded...

People react to CM’s outburst

Recent price hike in essential commodities has badly affected the common people throughout the country in general and the citizens of urban and rural areas of Assam are the most sufferers. Most of the consumer items are imported to this state from other states of the country, as the local production is not sufficient to cater the local needs. The state administration ‘lacking the will-power’ to establish industries, has to bring almost all manufactured goods to the state from outside. While entering into the state the carriers of such goods have to suffer a lot at the check gates established by the state government and managed by the state officials and the ‘brokers...

Who cares for Assam’s development?

With recent reports on developmental activities in Assam, it seems that nobody desires the betterment and development of the state. The state administration, student organization, political leaders, bureaucrats, officials and various growing mushroom-like organizations, all are running after money and ‘easy money’. Assam’s industry minister, Pradyut Bardoloi recently came out openly on certain student leaders, who demand money from the industrialists, who come here to invest their money for the development of the state. He cited an example of such demand from a cement factory at Dimoria, to be started by the Star Cement. an organization of repute. The government has...

Guwahati IGNOU into CBI trap, Chief likely to become scapegoat

The Central Investigation Bureau (CBI) has arrested an employee of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Guwahati Centre on alleged charges of financial scam worth about Rs.26 lakh. On Monday last the accused, Niranjan, was granted three days remand by CBI Special court. According to Senior CBI Chief, Hiren Nath, huge financial irregularities were reported in this prestigious institution and accordingly the CBI began investigation and detected a scam of Rs.25.65 lakh. The CBI has registered a case No. RC 0172010A0007, against the Director of IGNOU, Guwahati Centre, Dr Vardhini Bhattacharjee and the office assistant, Niranjan. The CBI has also seized all the records and...

UPFA warns against dividing indigenous people of Assam

United Peoples’ Federation of Assam (UPFA) has warned the State and the political parties to refrain from dividing the indigenous people of Assam by creating differences through their activities and behavior. Addressing the media persons on Thursday last at Guwahati Press Club, the UPFA President, Jebra Ram Muchahary, expressed concern over grilling of militant leaders, show casing of ceasefire and ‘so-called drama’ of mass surrender ceremonies and release of jailed leaders. He said that these exercises would not bring real peace in the state and demanded a meaningful settlement of all issues through process of negotiation fulfilling the genuine political aspirations of...

Anusuchit Jati Mahasabha demands CBI probe in Scheduled Cast department scam

Anusuchit Jati Mahasabha, Assam has alleged high-level corruption in the Directorate of Scheduled Caste, Assam. Addressing the media persons, in Guwahati, the President of the organization, Chandra Kamal Bhagawati said that his organization came to know through Right To Information (RTI) Act 2005 that the funds meant for the development of the scheduled caste and tribes were misused by the directorate officials. Therefore, the Mahasabha has demanded a CBI probe in this matter. He said that for getting some information under the RTI Act his organization filed a petition and the copy of the same was sent to the Chief Minister, Assam, Minister for development of SC/ST department and...

Forget Paresh Baruah factor, let the country’s law prevail

Assam has suffered a lot due to ongoing movement on ‘sovereignty’ by United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), for last three decades. Thousands of innocent people including women, children, aged and media persons, have been killed during this period by the outfit activists and the security forces, due to this conflict. The State has been pushed backward and no development activities could be undertaken by the State government. The funds allotted by the Central Government to the State for development, were ‘misused’ by the State for ‘buying peace’ to the ministers, VIPs and the bureaucrats. Several efforts were done by eminent persons, organizations and...

Of late the Prime Minister thinks right

With increasing insurgency and deteriorating law and order situation in the country, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, seems to have realized that the functioning of his government lacks some vital points, which should have been taken care of long before announcing the welfare schemes meant for the common people of the country. The benefits under almost all the welfare schemes have failed to reach the real beneficiaries, leading to a condition of mistrust over the functioning of the government machineries. Huge funds allotted by the Central Government to the States under developmental schemes ‘dried-up midway’ mysteriously. Bogus utilization certificates were and are...

Hire and fire continues in Assam’s media

Taking advantage of easily available MASS communication degree holders and serious unemployment problems in the state the media houses in Assam have got an opportunity to ‘hire and fire’ the media men, whimsically. The Fourth Estate in Assam is deprived of ‘fair deals’ despite the existing ‘The Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Condition of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, enforced. Under this Act, the Central Government constituted Wage Board for suggesting salary and perks for journalists and other workers in media. This Act is confined and has its jurisdiction up to print media only. In the year 1985, the Bachhawat Wage...

BJP detractors at cross-roads!

The BJP detractors, the four Members of Assam Legislative Assembly, who defied the party whip during recent Rajya Sabha elections and cast their votes in favor of the candidates of Congress Party, now seem to have facing a tough time to save their political career. They have around them a bitter atmosphere in their constituencies and their high dreams are shattered. Now they have the only alternative to join the Congress Party, for which they are trying their best. The Assembly elections in Assam next year may put them in difficult situation for various reasons. None of the political parties would like to have such ‘salable items’. It may be mentioned here that four...