NEW DELHI, Oct 24 � Smarting under the recent embarrassment of waterlogging problem wreaking havoc in Guwahati city, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi admitted that the city has the worst drainage network, declaring that an inquiry would be instituted into the incident.
Referring to the incident of death of a person in the city during the Friday�s deluge, the Chief Minister said that an inquiry would be ordered and the guilty would be punished.
The Chief Minister said that the drainage networks in the country were bad and in Guwahati it is worst. �No system exists,� he added.
The body of Binoy Mohan Das, who had gone missing after falling into an open drain at Zoo-Narengi Tiniali, was recovered from a drain near by-lane No-2 of Tarun Nagar after two days.
Gogoi though blamed the blockade of water and encroachment of hills in the city for the mess, stating that despite the problems like rampant construction activities, the State Government would do its best to resolve them.
Reacting to charges by BJP MP Bijoya Chakravarty, the Chief Minister said the MP first should clarify how much funds she had managed to bring to the State, when she was a minister at the Centre.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said focus would now be on boosting the rural economy. The agriculture and allied industries need to be developed to ensure more money for the State�s farmers. �That is why I have asked for a special agriculture policy for the North-east,� he said, referring to his presentation at the National Development Council meeting.
He identified flood and erosion as some of the main problems. The Brahmaputra river has expanded by 20 km in some places, while erosion has washed away over 4 lakh hectares of land, he informed.
Gogoi said he is asking for additional funds from the Centre to ensure that the development works continued. Insurgency is on the wane because of the development work, particularly road connectivity. But if we are unable to keep up the pace then people�s aspirations might be upset and insurgents would take advantage of that, he argued.
