GUWAHATI, June 10 � Countering Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi�s allegations regarding lack of development during the Asom Gana Parishad�s regime, AGP leader Prafulla Mahanta today said that the Gogoi government is reaping the benefits of the economic reforms done during the AGP rule.
Also attacking Tarun Gogoi on the issue of secret killings, Mahanta said that both secret and open killings are Congress� ways of doing politics, and the killings of Namgharia Dolen Barua, Samir Khan, Sabitri Rajbongshi, PC Ram and very recently the murder of agriculture engineer Gadapani Pathak corroborate his statement.
Addressing the media here, Mahanta said that Gogoi himself has admitted the possible involvement of officials of agriculture department in the murder of Gadapani Pathak and the said department is also a part of the State Government.
Alleging that the present government has failed in matters of development and maintaining law and order in the State, the former chief minister said that when the AGP had come to power, the State was reeling under the burden of various kinds of debts and it was the AGP government which built the base of Assam�s economy.
�After Independence till 1985, there was an acute economic crisis of Rs 4,000 crore in the State. After coming to power, the AGP changed the proportion of Union Government�s loan and grant to 90:10 from the earlier 70:30,� he said.
Making a comparison between the Congress and the AGP rule, he said that the production of rice which was 27 lakh MT per annum till 1985 increased to 32 lakh MT during the AGP�s time.
�When the AGP had come to power, the State was already under a crisis. The earlier government had taken a loan of Rs 500 crore from Peerless at higher interest rates under the revenue head. But, there were no records of utilizing Rs 450 crore, which was a great burden on the succeeding government,� Mahanta added.
Mahanta further said that the AGP government allotted more funds in the rural development sector in comparison to its predecessors.
Also bringing the charges of corruption and favouritism against the Congress government, Mahanta said that the management of Amlakhi Tea Garden under the Assam Tea Corporation has been given to a tea plantation company without inviting tenders, just because the key person of the company, Ranjit Borthakur, is the investment advisor to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
