Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday alleged that the West Bengal government was not cooperating with the Centre in dealing with the problem of illegal infiltration through the Indo-Bangladesh border but Assam is tackling it strongly.
Addressing a public rally to mark the first anniversary of the Himanta Biswa Sarma led NDA government in Assam, Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to end the problem of infiltration but ”Bengal is not cooperating with the centre”.
”On the other hand, Assam is standing rock-solid behind the centre (chattan ki tarah khari hain) and is fighting the problem strongly with the result evident in the remarkable decrease in illegal infiltration”, Shah said.
The home minister said that he had visited the Indo-Bangladesh border at Mankachar in Assam on Monday and ”the data reveals that during the last six years, infiltration has declined considerably and we hope to completely end it soon”.
Referring to the earlier rampant cattle smuggling to Bangladesh through Assam, Shah said that Sarma’s government has ensured that all doors in the state has been closed for cattle smugglers who from here to Hyderabad are unable to carry out the illegal work.
Regarding the government’s ‘zero tolerance’ towards cattle smuggling, the Union Minister said that the state government’s operations against cattle smugglers will continue and so far 992 people have been arrested and around ten thousand cattle have been rescued during the last one year.
Shah said that the state government has taken necessary initiatives to ensure that the promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto for last year’s assembly polls were fulfilled and priority was given to free encroached land belonging to ‘Sattras’ (Vaishnav monasteries).
He said that over 10,700 bighas of land were freed from encroachers across the state while 40 bighas were recovered in Barpeta, mostly from settlers who had earlier migrated from Bangladesh.
Shah said that improved law and order situation and peace accords with militant outfits during the last six years has led to the partial withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) in Assam and he was confident that it will be revoked soon from the entire state.
The efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have led to the signing of peace accords with most of the militant outfits and the ”day is not far when the entire state will be completely free from insurgency and violence’’.
”The AFSPA has been revoked from 23 districts and partially from one district. I am confident that it will be completely withdrawn from the entire state soon. The Act was extended 60 times in the state since 1990 but now instead of special laws, youths can look forward to development and a bright future’’, Shah added.
The surrendered youths who have returned to the mainstream are being rehabilitated by both the central and state governments and they will participate in the development journey of the state, Shah said.
He said that accords were signed with all four factions of the NDFB and militant outfits in Karbi Anglong, with 274 cases against 427 cadres withdrawn by the state government.
The Chief Minister under the leadership of the Prime Minister has embarked on the process of developing the state and a new beginning
has been made to bring peace, harmony, ensure protection to cultural traditions, effective implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the constitution and making the state drugs free, among others, he said.
The Prime Minister has promised that he was committed to ensure the all-round development of the North East and has visited the region over 50 times during the last eight years.
Shah praised the state government for its COVID management policy of setting up health facilities, oxygen plants and providing vaccinations to over 4.5 crore population in the state by reaching out to people in the remote hilly and forest areas.
The health infrastructure in the state has improved remarkably under Sarma, first when he was the health minister and now as the Chief Minister, and the set is all set to become a prime medical hub catering not only to the people of the region and the North East but also to the neighbouring countries, he said.
‘Regarding initiatives taken by the state government for farmers, Shah said that the minimum support price at Rs 1940 per quintal has been assured to them and steps have been taken to procure every grain while the number of paddy procurement centres, new mills, godowns, dryers have increased manifold.
The minimum wages of the tea garden workers have also been increased, he added.
