MIRZA, Oct 13 - South Kamrup District Demand Committee (AKDDCC), Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti and CPI(M) on Thursday blocked the NH-37 at Chhaygaon for more than an hour disrupting road communication, in protest against the State government�s decision to withdraw district status of South Kamrup. They also submitted a memorandum to the Governor and Chief Minister demanding immediate review of the recent decision. The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting held of October 7.
Meanwhile, AKDDCC and Nagarbera Mouja Committee staged a dharna in front of Nagarbera Circle Office on Thursday. Seven prominent organisations, including Nepali Kalyan Parishad, ABSU, Gorkha Students� Union backed the agitation programme by submitting a memorandum to the Governor and the Chief Minister demanding immediate cancellation of the recent decision to withdraw the district status of South Kamrup.
Earlier, South Kamrup District Demand Committee also organised a protest rally on October 10 at Chhaygaon and condemned the decision of the government. The committee decided to launch a massive agitational programme in protest against govt�s move.
�We will launch a jangi movement for restoration of the previous government�s decision to create the South Kamrup district,� said a convener of the South Kamrup District Demand Committee on condition of anonymity.
South West Anchalik Committee of the AASU burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at Boko on October 8 in protest against the State government�s decision to withdraw the district status of South Kamrup.
Condemning the State government�s move, general secretary of Kamrup district AASU committee, Nirod Das, said that the State government has hurt the sentiments and wishes of the people of South Kamrup by withdrawing the district status of South Kamrup.
�The State government should have discussed with the people of South Kamrup before striking down of the decision of the previous Government to create the South Kamrup district and instead of taking steps to make the South Kamrup a full-fledged district, the present BJP-led State government overlooked the sentiments of the people,� he said.
Das also demanded the Assam Government to immediately review the decision and added that the AASU would launch a strong agitational programme in the days to come in protest against the anti-people move of the government.
The AAMSU also staged a road blockade at Nagarbera in South Kamrup district on October 9 in protest against the State government�s move.
Goroimari Block Youth Congress Committee also organised a protest rally at Goroimari in protest against the government�s move.
Congress Kamrup District Committee also burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at Goroimari in South Kamrup on October 9 in protest against the move.
It may be mentioned here that previous Congress-led State government announced the formation of South Kamrup district on February 27 covering three Legislative Assembly Constituencies � Palasbari, Chhaygaon and Boko � and 52 villages of Rani area situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river. The South Kamrup district was created by bifurcating the Kamrup (Rural) district.
Sources said that the people of South Kamrup had expressed a sigh of relief after formation of the South Kamrup district with its headquarter in Chhaygaon.
The present State government has decided to merge the South Kamrup district with Kamrup (Rural district) with its headquarter located at Amingaon.
Amingaon is located in the eastern corner of the district and the headquarters is about 110 km from the westernmost township of Nagarbera and over 100 km from Lumpih � the south-westernmost village of the Kamrup district. It is nearly an impossible task for a person to complete a round-trip visit from Nagarbera and Lumpih to Amingaon � headquarters of the Kamrup (Rural) district.
Furthermore, over 40 villages under South Kamrup district are situated in char areas of Brahmaputra river and the villagers of these areas will face an uphill task to travel to the Kamrup (Rural) district headquarters at Amingaon.
Sources said that hundreds of villages in the southern part of South Kamrup district are situated in hilly terrain and infrastructure, including road etc., have not been developed properly till date in those villages.
However, the headquarters of South Kamrup district � Chhaygaon � was situated only 45 to 50 km from the remotest villages (Nagarbera or Lumpih) of the South Kamup district.
Besides, the previous government appointed a DC and an SP and some other officials for South Kamrup district. The newly-formed South Kamrup district also celebrated its first Independence Day on August 15 this year with the Deputy Commissioner hoisting the Tricolour in presence of several dignitaries.
