JORHAT, Sept 3 - Four organisations of the Chutia community on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led government and other political parties like Congress and AGP for failing to fulfil the pre-poll promises made for development and welfare of the community over the years.
Leaders of Chutia Jati Sanmilan, Chutia Yuba Sanmilan, Chutia Mahila Sanmilan and Chutia Chatra Sanstha (Jorhat district units), while jointly addressing newspersons at the Jorhat Press Club, came down heavily on the government for apathy towards the community. They said that political parties in their poll manifestos had mentioned including the community in the ST list in view of socio-economic backwardness of the community, but none of the parties after coming to power took any step in this regard.
The leaders said that the government, after capturing power at Dispur, had consultations with the Central government led by the same party and formed a high-power committee to prepare guidelines to include Chutia community in the ST list, but there has been no positive outcome. The leaders also alleged that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had made an announcement of Rs125-crore package for all-round development of the Chutia community but no activity has been seen till date.
They urged all political parties to field candidates from the Chutia community in constituencies, where the population of the community was more than other tribes and groups, in the Assembly polls next year. If candidates from the Chutia community are not given tickets by political parties in Chutia-dominated areas, then all organisations of the community may unitedly field candidates independently.
Accusing the BJP-led State government of failing to take steps to protect and preserve historical monuments and structures built by Chutia rulers despite the government providing assurances earlier, the leaders sought protection and preservation of historical sites of Chutia era in Assam and also in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.