GUWAHATI, April 20 � With the anti-dam stir in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh gaining momentum, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today said that the Central Government will soon undertake a study of the hundred-odd dams coming up in Arunachal Pradesh. �We shall try to take a holistic view of the problem�, he said.
Interacting with senior editors at the conference room at LGBI Airport this evening before his departure to Delhi, the Prime Minister who looked relaxed even after a hectic day-long schedule in the city said that communication and development of infrastructure were key areas which should get priority in the State. He took note of the number of bridges over the Brahmaputra with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi pointing out the new bridges coming up on the red river.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi emphasized the serious threat posed by erosion and flood in the State when the Prime Minister�s attention was drawn to it with Gogoi saying, �Erosion is now a bigger problem in the State than floods�.
Like all Assam politicians, the Prime Minister�s (who is a Rajya Sabha member from the State) demeanour turned grave when the issue of infiltration to the State was raised before him. The State government recently informed the members of the State Assembly that about 38,000 persons declared as foreigners by Foreigners� Tribunals have gone �missing�. If people come through the porous borders and inflate the State�s population, how will the State plan its economic parameters? ... the Prime Minister who gave a patient hearing replied, �There must be better administration�.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today admitted that there were delays in the implementation of the Central projects in the State and attributed it to, �new projects being taken up with old projects still remaining incomplete�.
Dr Singh today said the �Look East Policy� of the Government and other related issues like insurgency would be discussed with the Myanmar government during his visit to Myanmar next month.
We hardly had time to bat an eyelid during PM�s visit. It�ll be after four days that I�ll be unlacing my shoes today.
