Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil recently held a tripartite meeting with the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Assam Government on implementation of the Assam Accord and the process for its implementation.

According to the Union Home Minister that “in the interest of the development of Assam discussed what had been done for fulfilment of the assurances given in the Accord, and the process taken to do so”. Stating “the atmosphere in which the meeting took place was cordial and helpful”, he said “on behalf of the Government of India, I had exchange of views and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi explained what was being done by the Assam Government for implementation of the Accord”.

“The AASU was forthright in explaining their point of view. They talked about the economic development of the state, the unemployment problem and the National Citizens Register (NRC)”, the Home Minister said. After the tripartite meeting Patil, Gogoi and an AASU delegation visited the India-Bangladesh border in the Dhubri sector to see how the work of erecting the fence there in one area was going on and also the existing one in another. The Chief Minister also said “the visit of the Home Minister showed how serious the Union Government is for implementation of the Assam Accord”. The AASU also expressed their gratefulness.

The last tripartite meeting was held on May five in Delhi with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

ASSU leaders were visibly satisfied after the meeting. AASU president Sankar Prasad Roy, general secretary Tapan Gogoi and advisor Samujjal Bhattacharyya said that Mr. Patil assured the student body that he would soon be arranging a tripartite visit to the Karimganj sector of the Indo-Bangla border. ASSU alleged that entire riverine border of the State with Bangladesh measuring around 107 km in length, is porous. Moreover, the barbed wire fencing along the land border of the State with the neighbouring country measuring around 192 km is also worn out in most areas.

Regarding Bangladesh, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said India always accorded importance to better relations with Bangladesh. He said that the Centre was keen to undertake socio-economic programmes for the uplift of the people living in the border areas to bring the state at par with other developed states. He informed that a sum of Rs. 1 crore has been financed by Oil & Natural Gas Corporation for the celebration and thanked the company for its generosity.

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