On cabinet decisions Assam Congress calls for white paper

GUWAHATI: Ahead of the autumn session of the Assam Legislative Assembly on September 11, the Assam Congress Legislature Party (ACLP) on Tuesday challenged the BJP-led government in the state on the decisions taken in the weekly cabinet meetings and its Demanded a white paper on the cause.
The state cabinet has achieved the milestone of sitting 100 times in 27 months of the current BJP-led government, with 1,238 key approvals and an impressive 98 per cent of them implemented so far.

“We believe that these cabinet meetings are fooling the people. We doubt the sincerity and seriousness of the government with many decisions taken in the cabinet which are far away from public importance and benefits”, ACLP’s Leader Debabrata Saikia said while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday.
“I sent a letter to the Chief Secretary on December 8, 2022, seeking information about the decisions taken in the Cabinet meetings held at Dispur and various district headquarters of the state. But he refused to give me any reply.
On March 3, Niraj Verma, state principal secretary of the home and political department, told me that the cabinet’s decisions were restricted from being disclosed. But when I asked for more information about the cabinet’s decision, citing the statement of the Information Commissioner of Maharashtra, he refused to answer me”, Saikia said.
“We have doubts about NRIs in MBBS course in medical colleges. The state cabinet has announced 10% reservation of seats in MBBS programs in medical colleges across the state for NRI students. However, the Supreme Court’s order came in response to objections over the price of Rs 18 lakh per seat for NRI medical seat reservation. After the court’s decision, the state government has yet to put a hold on the NRI quota. “, Saikia also said.
Saikia added, “The state cabinet has also decided to reduce the price of land in tea garden areas. According to this decision, the land price will increase after the acquisition of land by the state authorities and it will increase in urban areas. will be equal to the value of the land.
This is nothing but a conspiracy. It is a ploy by the government to benefit the family of the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues to buy cheap land in the tea garden areas,” the Congress leader said.
“I don’t understand why the cabinet does not take any decision to revive the ailing tea industry in the state which has entered 200 glorious years. I don’t understand what the cabinet is doing about the development of homeopathic and ayurvedic institutions in the state. Why is no decision taken at a time when the central government is paying special attention to this sector?
Why does the Cabinet not take any steps to revive the sick Assam Ayurvedic products? He questioned why no decision has been taken to regularize the jobs of more than 5000 drivers, ward boys, ward girls, peons, and sanitation workers who are posted in various medical colleges of the state.
“Considering all these aspects, we have requested the government to publish a white paper on the decisions taken in state cabinet meetings and the reasons why such decisions were taken in 100 cabinet meetings”, he said.