Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday claimed that the development in Assam had started taking place only after 2005 — four years after his party came to power in Assam — even as the State’s Opposition party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) took to the streets on Wednesday protesting against the misrule of the Congress for last 14 years.
The Chief Minister addressed the newsmen in his office and claimed that the State had progressed in the last 14 years in all spheres taking from economy to law and order. The AGP, on the other hand rocked the streets of Assam's capital town Guwahati protesting the failures of the Congress Government-failure to check the price rise, supporting the Indo-Bangla land swap deal and many other burning issues.
"When the AGP Government was ousted in 2001, the State's economy was in bad shape. Government employees were not getting their salaries and there was huge over draft. It took us four years to stabilise the economy and we could consider undertaking development only after 2005," said Gogoi while addressing the newsmen on Wednesday.
He said that the civilian killing was 1,500 in the State in 2001. "The figures of civilian killing came to down to only 154 last year. People were used to be scared to go out of their homes at night during those days. However, now my Government has to make a deadline of 12 am for stopping Bihu functions across the State-this indicates the significant improvement in law and order situation," said Gogoi.
The Chief Minister also put out the statistics for economy and said that when his party assumed charge in 2001, the State's GDP was only Rs38,313 crore compared to Rs1,62,652 crore at present. The per capita income of the State was only Rs13,059 in 2001 which has come to Rs49,480 now, Gogoi said.
AGP president Atul Bora, on the other hand slammed the ruling party for misrule of 14 years and said that the Congress decentralised corruption to the maximum level in last 14 years. "There has been a communal clash in the State during the Congress rule since 2001 and the Government has failed to check the price rise. The Ministers and legislators of the Congress are running syndicates of essential commodities and thus making the common people to suffer," said Bora who along with other party leaders led a procession on Wednesday.
The AGP also slammed the BJP-led Central Government and said that there is no difference between the Congress and the BJP as far as their attitude towards Assam and North-East are concerned. "The BJP too, has been working against the interest of the State by deciding to go ahead with the Indo-Bangla land swap deal and withdrawing the special category status from Assam," he said.