GUWAHATI, May 19 � The ninth triennial conference of the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which concluded here on Wednesday, demanded urgent steps to sign a repatriation treaty with Bangladesh to facilitate the deportation of the illegal migrants entering the State from the neighbouring country. The Government of the neighbouring country should be compelled to sign such a pact, said the delegates assembled at the conference of the regional party.
Economic Zone: The conference demanded creation of the North East Economic Zone comprising all the NE states for the speedy economic development of the region. The country should route its economic and trade links with the South East Asian countries through the NE region. In this connection, the conference also demanded extension of the East-West Corridor to Sadiya, widening all the National Highways passing through the State into four lane ones, opening of the Stillwell Road and connecting the region with Hanoi through the Delhi-Hanoi Railway.
Ministry for Tea: It demanded a separate ministry for tea industry and setting up NE headquarters of the tea companies at Guwahati for the sake of development of tea industry and the workers engaged in it in general, and those of Assam in particular.
Corruption: Significantly, the conference extended its support to the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare as well as to the demand for a strong Jan Lokpal Bill. The Congress Government in the State has led to rampant corruption and spiralling cost of living that has resulted from the unprecedented rise in the prices of essential items. The State would continue to face unbridled corruption until the Tarun Gogoi Government is thrown out of power, the conference said in its resolution. The conference also opposed the land swap deal signed between India and Bangladesh describing it to be a threat to the integrity of the country and vouched steps to foil the bid to get Parliamentary approval to the deal.
Flood-erosion: It demanded that all the amounts of Central assistance to the State for controlling flood should be treated as grants. The Centre should also provide assistance to the State to rehabilitate its erosion-affected people. Moreover, the Centre should assume the responsibilities to save Majuli, the famous river island, from flood, it said.
Mega dams: On the issue of the mega dam hydel projects, the party conference said that in the seismically sensitive State such projects would lead to serious consequences for the farmers, who constitute more than 80 per cent of the State�s population and hence for sake of safeguarding the interest of the farmers and the people of the State in general, the party will have to continue its opposition to the mega dam hydel projects.
Eviction: The conference voiced its opposition to the official drives to evict the settlers from the Government land and described them as anti-indigenous people moves. These drives are aimed at allotting Government land to the big capitalists, said the conference.
ST status: It demanded immediate fulfillment of the demand of the six ethnic groups of Koch-Rajbongshis, Ahoms, Morans, Mataks, Chutiyas and Tea Tribes for granting Scheduled Tribe status to them, besides special schemes for the socio-economic development of the people belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and Tea Garden Communities.
Tea workers� wages: It also raised the demand for immediate hike in the wages of the tea garden workers to neutralize the impacts of inflation.
