GUWAHATI, Aug 9 � The Assam Senior Citizens� Association, in its meeting held today, registered strong protest against the format and content of the draft of the Lokpal Bill tabled in the Lok Sabha by the government. The meeting, held under the presidentship of Kamleswar Bora, former Vice Chancellor of Dibrugarh University, urged upon the government to revise the draft and to incorporate essential points making the Lokpal an effective constitutional functionary in order to root out corruption in the country.
The meeting observed that the Bill, in its present form, would never be able to counter the menace of corruption in the country.
The meeting also called upon the government, both at the Centre and the State, not to sacrifice the interest of the people of Assam by submitting to the diktats of big companies engaged in construction of dams over Subansiri and other rivers in Arunachal Pradesh. The meeting felt that unless drastic measures are adopted right now, the plains of Assam would be reduced to barren land with the extinction of river courses in the plains.
In another resolution, the meeting urged upon the State government to take effective steps to arrest the abnormal hike in prices of all commodities, especially food stuffs and vegetables.
The meeting also expressed concern at the havoc caused by unusable and highly inflammable kerosone in some districts of Assam.
The general secretary of the association DN Chakrabarty and representatives of different district units took part in the discussion. The meeting decided to hold the central function in connection with the world Elders� Day on October 1 at Moran in which Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will be requested to be the chief guest.
