GUWAHATI, August 10″: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday condemned the BJP governments at the Centre and state for “ignoring and betraying” the six indigenous communities of Assam which have for long been seeking Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.
Addressing reporters here, APCC media department chairperson, Bobbeeta Sharma referred to the Lok Sabha passing through a voice vote on Monday the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to amend the constitutional list of Scheduled Tribes as recommended by Arunachal Pradesh.
“Through this, as many as 12 indigenous communities of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh would now be accorded ST status. But there has been no mention of the same privilege for the six indigenous communities of Assam – Chutiya, Koch-Rajbongshi, Matak, Moran, Tai-Ahom and Tea Tribes,” Sharma said.
“The BJP governments at the Centre and state had, before many elections, promised ST status to the six Assam communities but have ignored and thereby betrayed the communities post polls. The state Congress condemns such an act of betrayal by the BJP government at the Centre and state,” she alleged.
The Assam Congress further condemned the Centre’s move to rename the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to Adani International Airport, a signboard of which has been noticed by the party.
“The renaming of the airport is an insult to Assam’s revered leader (state’s first chief minister) and the government should clarify why no clause was inserted in the 50-year lease agreement with the Adani Group that the name of the airport would not be changed,” Sharma said.
The Opposition party also slammed the Centre for the alleged slow pace of work in regard to a central scheme for rural people in Assam while, citing facts disclosed by the Union rural development ministry that only 48.21 percent of the target (set for 2020-21) of building 8, 81,833 houses has been completed.