ASSAM TIMES POST
Guwahati : Amids ongoing protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act that it will threaten the existence of Assamese people, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Monday assured his government is safeguarding the jati, mati, bheti (community, land, home) of the indigenous people of the state.
Since the first day of taking over power, the present State government has been working to safeguard the rights and privileges of the people of Assam, said Sonowal addressing a sramik samaroh meeting at Cinnamara tea estate where black flags were shown to him and two youths picked up in this connection.
“Amar Asom (our state), Amar Mati (our land), Amar Adhikar (our right) are the guiding principles as the State government is safeguarding jati, mati, bheti of the indigenous people with these principles”, the Chief Minister said while laying the foundation stone of a Primary Health Centre in the tea estate in Jorhat district.
He also said that his government has adopted a land policy particularly to protect land rights of the indigenous people of the state. Stating that he being a son of the soil will not allow his government to do anything infringing the rights of the indigenous people.
Stating his government is carrying out survey of ceiling surplus land of tea garden areas just to ascertain the quantum of land to be given to the people belonging to tea tribe community, he allayed the fear generated by some vested interest groups that land survey being done by the State government would entail selling the land to outsiders. He maintained that land which originally belongs to tea tribe community will remain with them.
Pointing out health and happiness of the people of Assam are the responsibility of his government, Sonowal said that in the coming days 15 Public Health Centres would be set up in 15 tea gardens belonging to state-run Assam Tea Corporation.
Terming the tea tribe community as the integral part of Assam’s demography, Sonowal said that the State government would adopt all possible means for the progress and prosperity of the tea community.
He also said from New Year all the families of tea tribe community would be entitled to 2kg of sugar and to stimulate social, cultural, economic and educational development of the tea tribe community, his government would allot Rs 1 crore to each 800 tea gardens of Assam for construction of roads.
Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana around 4000 new houses would be built for tea garden workers, he added. Chief Minister Sonowal also announced that from January 1, 2020, his government would hike wage of tea garden workers under ATC from the existing Rs. 138 to 167 per day.
During Union minister Rameswar Telli’s address at the meeting two youths rose from their seats and shouted Jai-Aai Asom (hail Mother Axom) and raised black flags before they were whisked away by police which later released them.
