No talks on sovereignty issue with ULFA: CM
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=mar0107/at03 By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Feb 28 – Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today ruled out any possibility of negotiating the issue of sovereignty with the ULFA. He also argued that the State today needs a positive approach from its people towards development and made an appeal to the opposition members to read the ideologies behind each of the Government schemes. The Chief Minister was replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the February 26 address of the Governor. He claimed that the State Government under his stewardship was positive and transparent in all respects and it was sincere in its efforts to lead the State towards progress. The State has made progress during the last five to six years under his Government and those refusing to believe this fact are in fact renouncing the truth. The State has recorded today a growth rate of 5.93 per cent and its Plan allocation had also gone up to Rs 3,800 crore, he said. Investment in the State has gone up and the rising price of land in Guwahati is an indicator to this fact. Even the purchasing power of people in the rural areas has also gone up. The growing sales of scooters and two-wheelers in the rural areas are the indicators to this, claimed the Chief Minister. Meanwhile, the flow of tourists to the State has gone up to 40 lakh against the earlier figure of 10 lakh. The State Government did not have the funds, but it had the will, the required intelligence and skills behind these successes, he said. The State Government is evolving a comprehensive approach also for the judicious utilization of the available natural resources with the help of the experts and its emphasis here is on benefiting the poor people, the Chief Minister said. Sovereignty: Rejecting the demand made by the opposition members for taking the issue of sovereignty also on the agenda of discussion with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), he made it clear that the issue of couldn't be discussed with the militant outfit. For he said, the Government had taken the oath in the name of the Indian Constitution. Therefore, this Government cannot grant sovereignty. Discussion on the issue will only delay the talks with the outfit, he said. Assam Accord: In reply to the opposition members' concern over the delay in implementing Clause –VI of the Assam Accord, he said that because of the failure of the Sahitya Sabhas to arrive at a consensus on the definition of indigenous people, the clause could not be implemented so far. But the Government has initiated the process for the purpose and is trying to evolve a consensus on the issue. "The Government cannot exclude any of the ethnic groups like the Bodos, the Misings, the Tiwas, the Karbis etc. There should be a definition of the indigenous people, which is accepted by all sections of the people. Even the opposition parties may also come forward to define the indigenous people. The Government does not want to impose anything on the people," he said. Law and order: The Chief Minister maintained that his Government was not claiming a total improvement in the law and order situation of the State. But it has improved considerably, he said. National Games: He claimed that the National Games had enhanced the prestige of the State. But for it, the credit should go to the people of the State and not to the ULFA as the opposition members had suggested. The people of the State are politically more matured now, he said. The State dared to hold the Games undeterred by the odds like fund constraints and its meal tally was also good. But it was due to the efforts of the rural youths that the State could win so many medals, he said. He also questioned the silence of the opposition parties when the NE TV had described him a scoundrel. The TV channel has done more harm to the State by maligning its image with a negative propaganda. The House adopted the motion of thanks on the Governor's address by a voice vote.
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