SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: The Barak Democratic Front (BDF) has welcomed the statement of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to end Syndicateraj in the State.
Sarma made this statement before the media during his visit to the Assam Police Headquarters in Guwahati. The Chief Minister said that specific complaint with documentary evidence in this regard should be made to the Director-General of Police for initiating action to end syndicates. In a statement on Friday, BDF convener Pradip Dutta Roy said that "a well-organized and well-patronized syndicate in Barak Valley has been active for the last two years".
The local and the state media have been reporting it umpteen times with photo support for action but to no avail. The BDF has also been vociferous in raising its voice, citing a preliminary report to the CBI by a competent source that named several political persons, police officials and middlemen. Unfortunately, the fate of the CBI inquiry is still to be known. Rather, the syndicate in question has been carrying on illegal transportation of coal and limestone from Meghalaya, betel nuts from Myanmar and fertilizers from this valley outside.
Some political leaders made fast bucks. The State exchequer has been deprived of huge revenue due to the flourishing clandestine business. According to a rough estimate, the state exchequer during the last year lost whopping revenue of Rs 2,000 crore, pointed out Pradip Dutta Roy. On the eve of the last general elections, social and student-youth organizations and NGOs too raised their voice, demanding a probe into the illegal business to expose the leaders acting as masterminds behind it. Surprisingly, political parties, ruling and the Opposition, maintained a stoic silence, raising not even a whimper of protest.
Pradip Dutta Roy said the COVID pandemic has also affected the state revenue. The Barak Valley needs infrastructure development in the health and education sectors, improvement of the drainage system and other necessary public utility services. It is also surprising that as expected by common people, no political party made syndicate raj an issue during the pre-election rallies and public meetings. The signal that emerged gave a wrong message. Dutta Roy said political parties have their axe to grind.
Ultimately, there is a setback to development. The BDF convener hopes Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take the issue of syndicate seriously and directs the DGP to act on the concrete complaint to end the clandestine business. Even to date, 12 truckloads of limestone entered the valley through the Malidahar Assam-Meghalaya checkpoint as reported in the local media.
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