Towards a new future
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh assures a future free from want, poverty, ignorance and disease to North-East.
Sandeep Banerjee

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the 500 mw Bongaigaon Thermal Power project at Salakati in Kokrajhar district to be built at a cost of Rs. 3000 crore by NTPC. He also announced another 300 crore to be pumped in to the coal fields at Ledo in Tinsukia district to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel to the power plant. Dr. Singh announced a total investment package of Rs. 6000 crore which would be the single largest investment in the State. Addressing a news conference at Raj Bhavan in Guwahati, the Prime Minister said that his government was giving utmost importance to the development of Assam to take the State in to a new future ­— a future free from want, poverty, ignorance and disease.

During his Assam visit, the Prime minister also announced slew of other projects. Dr. Singh assured that in four years time from now every village of Assam would be electrified. The villages would have proper roads, safe drinking water facility and also telephone connection. To negate the region’s bottleneck, he said that the Railways have been asked to speed up electrification of track and complete remaining gauge conversion works. A railway sleeper coach factory will also come up at Bihora.

The Prime minister said that the National Highway Authority has prepared a special road development plan for the region. The proposed North-East Water Resources Authority was in advanced state of finalization and would be launched soon, he revealed. The authority would go a long way in controlling floods in the region. It would also generate revenue through sale of power, the Prime Minister added. Dr. Manmohan Singh also hinted that the Centre would soon come up with special package for the revival of tea industry. “The Commerce Ministry is giving final touch to the package and it will be announced soon,” he said.

The Prime Minister has asked the state Government to set up an IT park in the BTC area and assured full Central assistance for the project. He assured that the four Industrial Training Institute (ITIs) situated in Bongaigaon, Odalguri Baskani area in the BTC area would be upgraded. A nursing college will come up in Kokrajhar. Dr. Singh also informed that the low power Doordarshan Kendra would be upgraded to a high power one. He assured that he would look into the demands put forward by BTC which included exemption of 10 per cent interest on spot loan from DONER Ministry and doubling up of Rs. 100 crore central assistance. The Prime Minister revealed that Public Investment Board (PIB) already cleared the much awaited gas cracker project and that the matter would come up before the Union Cabinet shortly.

Dr. Singh asserted that all steps will be taken to ensure that genuine Indian citizens were not harassed  on the pretext of deleting and deporting foreigners, stopping     just short of advocating an amendment to the Foreigners Act. The Prime Minister said that the Group of Ministers which was constituted to study the scrapping of the controversial IMDT Act would come up with a new idea in a few days. He also assured that the Assam Accord would be implemented word by word.

On peace talks with ULFA, the Prime Minister stated that it is on right track and he is looking forward to having a second round of talks with the PCG soon. He reiterated his stand that the Government is ready to talk with any militant group, which shuns violence and comes up for talks without any precondition.

The Prime Minister revealed that the Centre is working to find a permanent solution to the annual flood menace in the State, which hampers development. He observed that Assam is one of the most beautiful states of the country and has the potential to become the tourist capital of the country. Promising the people of the State Centre’s total help in its march towards development, the Prime Minister expressed hope that the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme would transform rural Assam in the next five years  by reaching out to the disadvantaged groups.

“Money won’t be a problem for the development of Assam,” he assured. For Guwahati Dr. Singh promised that his government would do everything possible to provide world class infrastructure in the city. “I took care to see that Guwahati figures prominently in the National Urban Renewal Programme,” he said. It may be mentioned here that Dr. Manmohan Singh is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam.

The Prime Minister gave away the K. K. Handique Memorial Award 2005 to renowned Sanskrit scholar Prof Ram Kumar Sharma. An impressed Prime Minister also patted the Gogoi Government in the State on its back for the success of Rajiv Gandhi Computer Literacy Programme, an ambitious programme which is providing computer education to school students. Dr. Singh was in all attention as young students displayed their computer skills during a special demonstration organized by the State Government.

PM & North East

• Laying of foundation stone of the Agartala Medical College

• Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the 750-mw thermal power    project, at Palatana in Tripura. PM’s assurance on implementation of Assam Accord - Prime Minister meets AASU delegation.

• First Meeting of the reconstituted North Eastern Council - Prime Minister’s address

• Guwahati goes international - linked to Bangkok

• J&K, Assam and North East States go fully mobile - Pre-paid services open - Fulfilling PM’s assurance

Development programmes & projects being taken up in Assam coinciding with PM’s visit

• “Power in India can only flow from the ballot box; never from the barrel of a gun” : PM - Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurates new capital complex of Assam at Dispur

• Prime Minister flags off Indo-Asean Car Rally

• “Come and join me to write a new chapter in the history of Assam”: PM tells Assam youth

• Manipur University to be upgraded as a Central University - PM’s convocation address at Manipur university

• PM’s directives to Ministries on Assam relief measures

• Task Force to suggest measures for tackling recurrent floods in Assam & neighbouring States - Assam to get Rs.90 crore more for long-term fllod control - Prime Minister visits fllod-affected Assam

• PM meets Peoples’ Consultative Group of Assam.

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