Tarun Gogoi placates anger of tea tribe; announces package

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi has placated the anger of Tea tribe legislators and announced Rs 100 Crore package for the over all development of the community.

Gogoi who is facing rebellion from a section of legislators on Thursday declared that dissidence is zero. For last one week as the dissidence activity has gained momentum Gogoi has been evading questions of dissidence.

In a swift move the chief minister has addressed the resentment of tea tribe MLAs. Tea tribe MLAs has severely criticized the allocation made to the community in the state budget 2013-14.

The chief minister who holds finance portfolio in the budget tabled recently has allocated around Rs 23 Crore to the community with over 50 lakh population.

Tea tribe MLAs pointed that allocation for minority community is around Rs 488 Crore. After hue and cry raised the tea tribe MLAs a meeting with held between the chief minister and the Indian National Trade union congress forum MLAs were held on Wednesday.

Gogoi announced a package of Rs 100 Crore for the community. “The plan size of Assam is yet to be finalized so there there is every scope for increasing the allocation.”

Several MLAs from the tea tribe has refused to put signature to the campaign supporting Gogoi as the chief minister and making public their ire against Gogoi.

During the meeting the tea tribe MLAs demanded better health facility and selling of ailing Assam Tea Corporation tea estates to private parties, introduction of tea tribe language in the school besides electing a person from the community to the Rajya Sabha, barring use of tea land for other industrial purpose like oil exploration and reservation of jobs for youths from the community in the state government.

Tea MLAs said that chief minister has assured to look favourably into the demands raised by the tea tribes. Gogoi said the allocation for minority community is around Rs 488 Crore, this has come from multi sectrol development scheme for minorities.(Ends)