GUWAHATI, Dec 6: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday reiterated the state government’s commitment to implement the Bodo Peace Accord in letter and spirit while appealing to the former National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) cadres to open a new chapter through an economic movement in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
Addressing a programme in Kokrajhar, Sarma said the historic peace accord was signed by all factions of NDFB, which made it different from the earlier two peace accords.
“The peace accord will be implemented in letter and spirit so as to usher in permanent peace in BTR. As it is, we have seen during the peaceful Bodoland Territorial Council elections last year and the recent polls to two bypolls in BTR that violence after the signing of the peace accord has not found any space in society with voters taking part in the polls in a democratic ambience,” the chief minister said.
“Besides, in general, cases of violence and murder cases have come down to almost nil in BTR after the peace accord. So I appeal to the people of BTR to keep the momentum of peace going and start an economic movement for development which is the need of the hour,” he said.
The chief minister further urged people to be self-reliant so that products of all kinds are produced in the state itself and not imported from outside.
“We need to prevent the drain of funds by being self dependent. Youths must undertake employment-generating ventures and strive to become employers instead of aspiring to be employees.
As a part of the rehabilitation package, the chief minister distributed fixed deposit certificates amounting to Rs 4 lakh to each of the 1,669 former NDFB cadres, who had given up arms to join the mainstream.
The cadres belonged to different factions of NDFB hailing from Kokrajhar, Chirang and Goalpara districts.
“I hope they make judicious use of the financial assistance by engaging in income-generating activities,” Sarma said while urging the leadership of the former NDFB to inspire the cadres to adopt the path of self-reliance through an economic movement.
“NDFB cadres, who once took up arms for a political movement, must now start a new chapter and usher in economic development through a movement,” he added.
The chief minister had addressed a similar programme at Tamulpur on Sunday where he informed that a comprehensive roadmap for all-round development of Assam has already been prepared and space created to use the services of disgruntled youths who returned to the mainstream.
Fixed deposit certificates amounting to Rs 4 lakh each were distributed among 1105 former cadres of NDFB belonging to different factions.
