GUWAHATI, Feb 10 - Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today criticized Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his comments on Assam�s claim for crude oil royalty and said that the latter, instead of suggesting to go to Court, should ensure that the State gets its due.
Addressing a news conference at his residence this afternoon, Gogoi said Pradhan must understand that there cannot be two different rules for two different States in case of oil royalty.
�If Gujarat has received the hike in oil royalty, Assam too should get its due. Do we need to go to the Court every time we press for our right,� Gogoi questioned.
�Such an attitude by the Centre is unprecedented. It is nothing but a dilly dallying tactics on the part of the Centre,� Gogoi said.
Pradhan on Tuesday had said that the Centre supports the State claim on oil royalty, but advised the State government to get it through Court�s intervention like it was in the case of Gujarat.
On whether the State government had moved the Court on the issue, Gogoi failed to give a clear answer, but asserted that if the case has not been filed as yet we will make sure that it is now filed within a week�s time.
Gogoi had on December 1, 2014 said that the State government has approached the Gauhati High Court seeking implementation of the recent Supreme Court judgement hiking royalty of oil produced in Gujarat, in Assam as well.
Lashing out at the Central government, the Chief Minister further said, �All we need is the Special Category State status, North East industry policy and the oil royalty due to the State.�