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REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The newly-formed political party Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) on Tuesday formed an Economic Planning Advisory Council under the chairmanship of reputed financial-economist Dr Jaimini Bhagwati and vice chairmanship of retired Chief Secretary of Assam C. K. Das along with several subject experts living in Assam, the rest of India and abroad.
Addressing the media persons, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi stated that the party is taking an initiative to develop a 'Financial and Economic Roadmap' with practical short, medium and long-term steps to strengthen Assam's economy through government and self-help steps. The roadmap will enable the Assam government in providing adequate employment and create the infrastructure and environment wherein entrepreneurship can flourish, Gogoi said.
Further, he opined that in the Indian federal system, there are two major responsibilities of a State with full statehood. A fundamental one is to ensure security of the life and property of the people and next in importance is to lift the standard of living of the people through social and economic development.
The AJP president said that the silent and invidious demographic invasion by Bangladeshis proved the previous governments' failure in ensuring adequate internal security and the socio-economic integrity of Assam.
"At independence in 1947, Assam was one of the most developed States of the country with per capita income 29 per cent higher than the national average and now it is less than half and one-fourth of the more Developed states which proves the failure of previous Assam governments on the economic and other crucial fronts such as education and health," he added.