JORHAT, Dec 6 - Opposing the Jorhat Development Authority (JDA) project to construct residential and commercial apartments at the Jorhat Public Bus Terminus, owned by JDA, at Kotoki Pukhuri area in the western end of the town, several organisations staged protests here on Saturday.
The 11 protesting organisations, which includes AASU, Raijor Dal, KMSS, Bir Lachit Sena, Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti, Sadou Kalita Chatra Sanstha, Anusuchita Jati Chatra Sanstha, Anusuchita Jati Mahila Sanmilani, have demanded cancellations of the said project which has been awarded to a private builder for executing it.
AASU protesters formed a human chain in front of the public bus terminus. The protesters led by AASU state assistant general secretary Jul Khound, Jorhat district unit president, Bijoy Shankar Bordoloi, shouted slogans against the JDA, the Speaker of the State Assembly, who is also the Jorhat MLA, Hitendra Nath Goswami.
Seeking retaining of the public bus terminus, Khound said the terminus was �very much necessary� to reduce traffic snarls in the town. He stated that they would launch an agitational programme till the project was withdrawn and the agreement signed between the JDA and the private construction firm owned by the builder in October this year cancelled.
Lambasting the JDA for initiating the project which was not in public interest, AASU Jorhat district unit president Bijoy Shankar Bordoloi alleged that the contents of the agreement of the project was in favour of the private construction firm for making immense profits from the public property.
He also castigated the Speaker who as a local MLA was an honorary member of the JDA and was believed to have known about the project. Bordoloi further took a dig at the Dergaon AGP MLA Bhabendra Nath Bharali, who was also an honorary member of the JDA and was believed to be aware of the project.
Meanwhile, another group of protesters led by Raijor Dal, KMSS and eight other organisations staged a demonstration at the public bus terminus by opposing the project.
Led by Raijor Dal State Convenor Dibyajyoti Sarmah, the protesters shouted slogans demanding scrapping of the project. They too shouted slogans against state Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami.