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| Major Events Vol. 3 Issue No. 31 | July 16-31, 2007 |
AASU sets deadline for Majuli protection The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) set a deadline for the Majuli visit by the Brahmaputra Board top brass. It has also alleged that Prime Minister of the country has virtually taken to deceit by not revamping the Board as per the commitment he had made earlier. The Government of India’s recognition to the State’s problems of flood and erosion as national ones has also become a mockery on the state’s people, as, there is no follow-up action to help the State get rid of these problems, the students’ body said and dubbed the role of the State Government also in this respect as equally disgusting. AASU president Shankar Prasad Rai, general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi and advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya also demanded international bidding to tackle the State’s problems of flood and erosion. Internationally renowned experts in the fields should be involved to solve these two perennial problems of the State once for all, they said. Alleging that the Government of India (GoI) was lackadaisical in its attitude towards solving these two problems of the State, they said that this attitude of the GoI was reflected in its appointing the chairman of the Brahmaputra Board on an ad-hoc basis. The present incumbent of the post has been appointed on such a manner that his tenure is to be extended after every three months, they alleged. They also alleged that the Board had not undertaken a hydraulic model study for preparation of the master plan. Further, there is a total lack of co-ordination among the top officials of the Board and due to lack of sincerity on the part of the GoI, it is now a defunct body, they alleged. The Board has been involved in implementing the Clause–VII of the Assam Accord that deals in economic development of the State. It has been assigned the job to ensure physical protection of the geographical area of the State from flood and erosion, particularly, that of Majuli, they said. But the atmosphere in the Board is such today that it has failed to implement even the first phase of the Majuli master plan prepared for physical protection of the geographical area of the river island, which has been waging a grim battle for its inclusion in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Interestingly, the master plan prepared by the Board also failed to include the southern and lower parts of the island. The initial estimate prepared by the Board for implementation of the Majuli master plan was Rs 288 crore. But the GOI reduced the amount to Rs 86 crore due to failure of the Board. GOI then released only Rs 41.28 crore for implementation of the first phase of the master plan. Implementation of the three phases of the master plan was scheduled to be completed by 2007. Unfortunately, the Board could not implement the first phase of the master plan and so far, it could spend only Rs 20.55 crore of the released amount, alleged the AASU leaders. Here also, large-scale corruption is taking place. Again, the keenness of the Board is such that it has set up only a camp office in the island, alleged the AASU leaders. They also demanded boulder spurs along the edges of the island and dredging of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra to tame them and warned that the installation of porcupines by the Board along the edges of the island during the rainy season would not be allowed. |
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