Tarun Gogoi to resign if Cong wins less than 7 seat in Assam
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi ton Saturday said he will resign from his post if the Congress wins less than seven of the 14 Lok Sahba seats in Assam. “I am confident, we will win more than the existing seven seats. I will resign if we win less than seven seats”, Gogoi told reporters at a press meet here on Saturday.
On being pointed out that his offer to resign was a serious matter, the Chief Minister said, “Tarun Gogoi is not afraid as we will win. What am I scared of? ” Asked if Congress would have a poll alliance in the state with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which is a UPA partner, he said, “I won’t propose but if AICC does, then I am bound by it”.
Accusing the BJP of helping AIUDF during the last elections, Gogoi asked, “They have love for (AIUDF chief Badruddin) Ajmal and do not criticise him only. They have secret understanding and are in talks also today”.
On his son Gaurav Gogoi being nominated for the Kaliabar Lok Sabha seat currently represented by his brother Dip Gogoi, the Chief Minister said, “till now no decision has been taken on the name”.
“Only the media is trying to create a rift in my family but we have an understanding within our family. The relationship between the nephew (Gaurav Gogoi) and uncle (Dip Gogoi) will not be affected by all this”, Gogoi asserted. (PTI)
First snowfall in Tawang in Arunachal
Itanagar: Tawang district bordering China in Arunachal Pradesh has recorded the season’s first snowfall bringing cheer to tourists and local people. The district received a few inches of snow in the past three days, with the temperature dipping below zero degree Celsius, official sources said on Saturday. Tawang town received less snow in comparison to the district. According to local people, snowfall on or before Torgya, a three day local monastic festival celebrated at the world renowned Tawang monastery in January, is considered a good omen. Moderate snowfall was recorded at Sella Pass, located at an altitude of 13,721 feet on the Tawang Bomdila road, the sources said. The mountains of Mechukha Valley in West Siang district also received snow in the past couple of days. (PTI)
Assam to institute Bravery Award named after school girl
Guwahati: The Assam Government will institute a state bravery award in the name of 14-year old Gunjan Sarma, a class 8 student of Sibsagar district, who saved 10 school children from the clutches of a gunman on December 4. In recognition of her courage, the award will be called Gunjan Sarma Bravery Award, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters. “Gunjan showed exemplary bravery. Not only Assam but the whole nation is proud of her,” he said. “We will be giving her the first award…we have also taken up the matter for her name to be included in the list of brave children to be awarded in the coming Republic Day in Delhi at the national level,” Gogoi said. On December 4 last, 11 students of two schools travelling in a van were taken away at gun point by a person in Simoluguri. Releasing 10 of the children, the man wanted to take a seven-year old girl as hostage and flee away. But seeing the little girl cry, Gunjan, a Kendriya Vidyalaya student, offered herself to be taken as a hostage instead of the girl. The gunman took her towards neighbouring Nagaland and in the morning abandoned Gunjan in a jungle from where she walked to a village. The locals informed the police to escort her safely to her home. (PTI)
Assam not to support Gujarat in Sardar Patel’s statue project
Guwahati: The Assam government has refused to support the Gujarat government’s initiative to erect a statue of India’s first Home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s ‘Iron Man’, in their state. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi addressing a press conference here today said the Assam government will not lend its support to the construction of the statue in Gujarat. ‘A delegation of ministers and leaders from Gujarat had met me here. I questioned them why they were trying to make Sardar Patel a leader of Gujarat alone,’ he said. ‘I told them that we (Assam government) will not support this endeavour,’ Gogoi said, adding that help, mostly in the form of financial aid, was being sought. ‘Sardar Patel belonged to the entire country. If his statue can be erected in Gujarat, why not in Mizoram for that matter?’ the Assam CM questioned. He also dismissed earlier reports that the state government had pledged its support for the cause. Gogoi pointed that Sardar Patel was a Congressman and the BJP was now trying to project him as their leader. He questioned Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s timing in planning Sardar Patel’s statue. (UNI)
Assam govt to fill vacancies before poll announcement
Guwahati: The Assam government will be concentrating on filling up maximum vacancies in its departments before the recruitment process is stalled ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections. Stating this at a press conference here on Saturday, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said, ‘I have directed the departments to fill up the vacancies as far as possible before elections are announced.’ The government cannot undertake any recruitment or announce new welfare policies once schedule for any election that touches the state is announced by the Election Commission of India. He said the government was committed to ensure that the recruitment processes are transparent and it may take some time in certain departments. Focusing on filling up vacancies in the police department, with the CM himself being the Home minister, Gogoi said, ‘Filling up vacancies in police takes some time as the recruits have to undergo training before they can be deployed.’ Besides government jobs, the government also wanted opening avenues of alternative employment for the people. ‘We are trying to take on the unemployment problem by providing means of livelihood (through vocational training and skill development), not just government jobs,’ Gogoi added. (UNI)