KOKRAJHAR, April 28 - Bodo groups observed �Betrayal Day� as well as �Black Day� on April 26 with a three-hour demonstration at Children Park near Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner Office in protest against the government�s failure to hold further dialogue on the Bodoland issue.
The programme was jointly organised by the All Bodo Students� Union, National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) and People�s Joint Action Committee for Boroland Movement.
A good number of activists joined the programme with different posters and banners. To show their anger towards the government, the activists of the Joint Movement Group also tonsured their heads and wore black badges during the demonstration. The Joint Movement Group also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the Deputy Commissioner of Kokrajhar demanding immediate creation of a separate Bodoland State carving Assam, expedite the process of dialogue on the Bodoland issue at political level, political rights for Bodos living outside the proposed Bodoland area and Scheduled Tribe (Hills) status for Bodo people living in Karbi Anglong in Assam.
�We had an opportunity for a formal and official dialogue on the Bodoland issue with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in his office in North Block New Delhi on the April 26, 2017 where the Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal, Chandra Mohan Patowary and top ranking bureaucrats of MHA and Dispur took part.�
In the meeting, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured us by saying that talks would continue because the means for sorting out the problem could be found out only through dialogue. But it is a great disappointment to the Joint Movement Group that no talks have been held till date as was promised by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh,� ABSU president Promod Boro said.
Boro also informed that they have called a five-day National Highway blockade from May 2, 2018 onwards.
Ujjwala Divas observed: Along with rest of the country, Ujjwala Divas was also observed at Owabari village in Kokrajhar.
In this connection, an awareness meeting and ceremonial distribution of free LPG connections to the poor women of the area were also held where BTC Executive Member Doneswar Goyary attended the function as chief guest. Bikash Kumar Mahanta, District Nodal Officer, PMUY, Kokrajhar also attended the programme along with other invited guests and dignitaries. Doneswar Goyary and Mahanta spoke about the significance of using safe and efficient cooking fuel for health, economic, safety and environment.
To mark the Ujjwala Divas, explaining the details of expanded PMUY categories and collection of KYC forms for expanded categories of Ujjwala were undertaken. The Ujjwala Divas promoted the enhanced target of enrolling 8 crore LPG beneficiaries and connections will be provided to eligible beneficiaries during the LPG Panchayat. In Kokrajhar district, 10 such LPG Panchayats will be held in different villages. The PMUY scheme is in operation and as part of the scheme, 198 villages of Kokrajhar district will be converted to smokeless villages by May 5.
Talking to media persons Bikash Kumar Mahanta, District Nodal Officer, PMUY, Kokrajhar said that 15,000 LPG Panchayats would be organised across the country to promote learning through peer group interaction on Ujjwala Divas under the aegis of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan. Each panchayat will target participation by 500 women with a goal of enrolling at least 100 new LPG beneficiaries. One LPG panchayat will be organised by each LPG distributor in his or her area of responsibility. Safety instruction and insurance cards will also be distributed during the panchayat session. It is an ambitious programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has benefited poor women of the villages immensely.
By creating a special observation day, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas through its PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) intends to promote among the rural consumers, safe and sustained use of LPG through peer group interactions on a large scale, Mahanta said.
