GUWAHATI, July 26 � The people of Assam wanted a political change in Delhi and voted overwhelmingly for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Now it is up to the BJP-led Government at the Centre to take effective steps for solution of the burning problems of Assam within a specific time-frame. This was the observation made by the All Assam Students� Union (AASU).
A delegation of the AASU will visit New Delhi next week to meet the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and other concerned Ministers to put pressure on the Government of India for solution of the problems of the State.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that the students� body would demand a time-bound action plan for implementation of all the clauses of the Assam Accord. He said that the AASU would also demand immediate sealing of the international border, updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of the State under the provisions of clause 6 of the Assam Accord. The AASU will demand imposition of strict visa regime for Bangladeshi nationals and oppose the land swapping deal.
The AASU will also call upon the Government of India to declare flood and erosion of Assam as national problems and to take effective steps for the solution of the problems. The AASU is also planning to demand immediate steps to protect the river island Majuli. The AASU will also oppose the river linking project.
AASU president Sankar Prasad Roy said that during the visit, the AASU team would also meet the Railway Minister to demand improvement of the railway network in this part of the country with construction of double track. The AASU will further demand that jobs of the C and D categories should be reserved for the youths of the region and the jurisdiction of the NF Railway should be restricted to the North East region. The AASU is also demanding that the Centre would announce a time-frame for completion of all the ongoing projects, including the Bogibeel bridge.
AASU general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi revealed that during the Delhi visit, the AASU would also demand construction of four-lane highways covering the entire State, setting up of Indian Institute of Management and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, ISSAR etc in the State. The AASU team will also meet the Union Environment and Forest Minister to demand steps to protect rhinos and to request that no mega dam construction should be allowed without proper study of possible downstream impacts.
