Cong. in Assam stages protest, demands construction of two bridges over Brahmaputra

Guwahati, Oct. 3 (PTI): The Congress in Assam on Saturday staged a protest over the alleged false promises made by the BJP-led government for construction of two bridges over Brahmaputra in the state, for which the foundation stone was laid by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari over four years ago.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora also said a similar protest will be held by the party on October 7 to press the demand for revival of two government-owned paper mills, which are non-functional since 2016.

The Saturday’s protest was held at Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district and our demand is that the construction work for the two bridges over Brahmaputra should start immediately, he said.

The two new bridges, to be built over Brahmaputra in Assam, will connect the north and the south banks of the river. While one will connect Sivasagar-Desangmukh-Tekeliphuta-Dhakuakhana, another will connect North Lakhimpur-Majuli and Jorhat.

It has been more than four years since the foundation stone for the bridges was laid by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari but no work has been started yet. It is nothing but a false promise of the Narendra Modi government, Bora alleged.

The APCC president said the party workers in large numbers staged the protest at Dhakuakhana to highlight the issue and demanded the immediate start of the construction work.

Bora said on October 7, the Congress workers will stage a protest at Jagiroad, where one of the two closed paper mills is located. The other paper mill is located at Panchgram in Cachar district. Both the units were run by Hindustan Paper Corporation, a central government PSU.

Despite repeated pleas by the people of Assam, the central government has not taken any action for the revival of the two paper mills where the livelihood of thousands of people was involved, he claimed.

The APCC president alleged that the government is now conspiring to sell thousands of acres of land belonging to the two paper mills to private entities.

He also alleged that the employees of the paper mills have not got their salaries for the past five years during which three employees ended their lives by suicide and 70 others died of various diseases without proper treatment.

The two paper mills have vital links with the economy of the state. If the Congress comes to power in the next assembly elections in 2021, we will take all necessary steps for the revival of the two paper mills, he said.