MANGALDAI, March 19 - �There is a huge loss of natural gas in Assam and to utilise these natural gas, the Rs 9,285-crore gas cracker project has been set up in the State after a series of demand from various local organisations including the AJYCP. There were demands to set up other subsidiary industrial units along with the mega project. It was expected that several local educated youths will get employment from it. But nothing happened till date except appointment of about 350 local youths out of the total 685 vacant posts,� said Adip Kr Phukan, a senior journalist, while addressing a seminar here recently.
�Significantly, the cracked gas from the gas cracker project now will be transported to Kanpur where polymer industries have been set up to feed it as raw materials,� he informed the gathering at the seminar on �Exercising total autonomy is the only way to bring all round development in Assam�.
Highlighting many statistics in support of how the State has been losing revenue worth several crores of rupees in every year yielded from crude petrol and natural gas from our soil, he pointed out that the total capacity of four refinery units in the State are around seven million tons per year where as the Barauwani refinery in Bihar which is run by raw materials from Assam recorded a production capacity of nine million per year and the present BJP government in the Centre is going to increase it more.
He appealed to the public organisations of the State to create mass public opinion in support of the long standing demand of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) for exercising the power of total autonomy so that the people of the State can enjoy their rights over the local resources.
Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion as an appointed speaker, Dilip Patgiri, former president and the chief adviser of the AJYCP, gave a brief account of the historical background of such demands all over India and its significance on present day context.
The seminar chaired by Sahir Bhuya, president of Darrang Zila Sahitya Sabha, was inaugurated by Biraj Kr Talukdar, president of the AJYCP. The seminar was also addressed by Bisitra Kr Medhi, retired principal of Mangaldai College.
The seminar held at the District Sahitya Sabha complex was attended by members of the various grassroot units of the AJYCP Darrang district unit, local citizens etc. It was organised in connection with the special meet of the district unit of the youth body.
Earlier, the organisational flag was hoisted by Kamrul Haque, chief convener of the organising body, while convener Himadri Kr Sharma initiated the smriti tarpan function.
