GUWAHATI, May 22 � Public activist Deven Dutta on Friday said that Assam needs power, industrialisation and development but this should not be at the cost of the common people and greater interests of the State.
Dutta said that the government is obliged to protect the land and interests of the local people and should have a clear-cut stand on issues like development and environment conservation.
Referring to the proposed cement factory in Dimoria which has invited strong reaction from the public, Dutta said that had the government not lacked a balanced stand on the issue of development and environment, this problem would not have come up.
�The government should come up with a clear-cut policy on development and environment,� said Dutta pointing out that as the government was maintaining a double standard, many areas in the name of development have witnessed quick depletion of the green cover exposing rare flora and fauna to the threat of extinction.
On the other hand, Dutta observed that the in-thing in the State has been collection of big donations either through request or threat and that many organizations were promoting this trend. He said that this trend should be ended immediately and the people of the State should voice their protest against this.
