GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal assured the people that they were safe in the state and that the government machinery was geared up to defeat all “evil designs”.
“Everybody is safe in Assam as the government machinery is on its toes round the clock to defeat any evil design. If there is peace, the state marches towards progress,” Sonowal said at a programme in Sonitpur district on Sunday.
He however said that some vested interests were hell bent on creating a rift in the state.
“The people of Assam who have been living harmoniously for centuries taking the philosophy of Sankardev, Ajan Peer, Bishnu Rabha, Bhupen Hazarika and others will defeat such divisive forces,” Sonowal said.
Earlier, the chief minister distributed land patta and allotment letters among 11,500 landless local families of the state at the programme held at Phulbari tea estate. The gesture of distributing land patta to landless people is an extension of state government’s commitment to ensure land rights of the indigenous people of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said the state government would give land patta to all local landless families of the state in a phased manner.
He said that it was a matter of concern that a large number of people living in the state for decades don’t have ownership over their land.
“So the present government as a result of its untiring efforts in the past two years and five months have made an elaborate roadmap for giving land rights to the local landless people of the state.
Taking pride of the multifarious demographic mosaic of Assam, Sonowal said that all the communities have lent their hands to the development of the state. Hailing the tea community as one of the most resourceful people of the state, Sonowal said that it was because of the dedication of the community that Assam tea could etch its name in the global map.
He further said that the government was working dedicatedly to spearhead the growth trajectory of the state. “Special emphasis has been given for the development of road network. All the internal roads of tea gardens in Assam will be repaired and made motorable,” he said.
Sonowal also laid the foundation stone of road repair work in Rangapara legislative Assembly constituency along with repair and capacity building of the road from Balipukhuri Tiniali to Rangapara town. Both the projects have been taken up under Central Road Fund.
Tea tribes’ welfare minister, Pallab Lochan Das, while speaking on the occasion, gave a snapshot of all the development schemes launched by the BJP-led government in the state.