GUWAHATI, May 21 - Senior journalist and president of the Guwahati Senior Citizens� Association and Journalists� Association of Assam, DN Chakravartty, while congratulating Sarbananda Sonowal and his party members along with his alliance partners on their historic victory �marking the closure of a chapter of corruption and conspiracy against the destiny of the Assamese people�, said that the new government under the �dynamic and youthful leadership� of Sonowal should take the first decision of shifting the Chief Minister�s official residence from Koinadhara to Dispur capital complex.
�This will result in avoidance of colossal wastage of public money in consumption of fuel for scores of vehicles not only of the CM�s entourage, but of the public at large and the vast retinue of officials,� he said.
Chakravartty also requested the Chief Minister designate to take the first cabinet decision to issue an ordinance proscribing transfer of any land � both agricultural and homestead � from the indigenous citizens of Assam to any person hailing from East Pakistan or Bangladesh or from any other country except Nepal in order to ensure economic and political security of the State�s indigenous people.
This should be, he added, in addition to consolidation and actual implementation of the rules as enshrined in the land Act on tribal belts and blocks.
Chakravartty also requested Sonowal to imbibe the noble examples set before him by a few of his predecessors, including Gopinath Bardoloi, Bishnuram Medhi, Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Golap Barbora and Sarat Chandra Sinha.
Referring to the greatness of Bardoloi, Chakravartty said from his personal experience that Bardoloi had to borrow Rs 200 from the office cash of the Chief Minister�s office on a day when there was a birthday party in his residence and he was waiting earnestly for his TA bill to be encashed for the party.
Referring to the clean image of Bishnuram Medhi, Chakravartty recalled the incident mentioned by his principal personal secretary (PPS) JN Hazarika how Medhi, who had a roaring practice as a successful lawyer, amassed enough wealth and while joining as Chief Minister, he handed over to Hazarika the passbook of the UCO Bank which had at that time a cash balance of Rs 15 lakh. �After a few years of his chief ministership, on the eve of his departure to Madras (now Chennai), Medhi purchased a Hindustan car issuing a cheque of Rs 15,000. After a few days, the branch manager of the UCO Bank told the PPS that the Chief Minister did not have the amount sufficient to accommodate the vehicle�s cost,� Chakravartty said, adding that during his tenure as Chief Minister Medhi hardly earned anything and exhausted his earlier bank balance.
Mentioning the benevolence and philanthropy of Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Chakravartty said that the former Chief Minister had a 50 per cent share in a tea garden owned by his family. While remaining as Chief Minister he drew loans from the tea garden on a regular basis to meet his public expenditure and one day he was informed by the company that the loan had exceeded what he had in the company as his share. Chaliha�s reply was, �Adjust my loan against my share.�
In another instance, in a letter addressed to the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Chaliha requested him to allow him to serve the people without drawing any salary. As the proposal was not accepted by the Prime Minister, Chaliha took a salary of Rs 1,000 instead of the higher salary he was entitled to.
Golap Borbora, a devout socialist, always treated officers and all common men with due regard. �He has no ostentation or any extravagant expenditure, and was strict at adherence to the principles of law and morality,� Chakravartty said.
Referring to the honesty of Sarat Chandra Sinha, Chakravartty said that Central minister Biju Patnaik was once commissioned by the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai to persuade Sinha to meet the PM by a special flight and requesting him to join the Janata Party after disowning relationship with the Congress.
�Patnaik assured him that in the next election in Assam where the Congress had not the least of prospects to gain power, it would be wise on Sinha�s part to join the Janata Party to take leadership in the Janata Government in Assam. Sinha thanked Desai and Patnaik, and politely refused the offer,� Chakravartty said. weather
