BTC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pramod Boro tells Opposition to change their mindset in Kokrajhar

KOKRAJHAR: Chief Executive Member (CEM) of BTC, Pramod Boro on Thursday asked the opposition members of BTC legislative assembly to change their old ‘mindset’ and reject the attitude of ‘one-man army’ style of working in the council as there is no space for one-man army in a democratic governance.

In a press conference held at Bodoland Guest House, Kokrajhar, the CEM said there were gaps of infrastructure development in various departments as the previous government took interest in material supplies and misappropriated crore of rupees. He said the major challenges inherited from the previous government were the massive liabilities of over Rs 2,900 crore, absence of proper planning, zero development data, no work culture at all levels and a strong legacy of lack of good governance and misrule. He also said that to overcome these challenges, massive cleaning up of the system was done by the present government. He further said that the present BTR government took some major decisions to revamp and streamline the system with a focus on long-term planning and a vision for a peaceful, smart and green Bodoland.

Boro said the opposition members had been giving wrong interpretation on the holding of the first ever Bodoland International Knowledge Festival at Bodoland University last month saying that the council government spent Rs 45 crore in the festival. He said the amount was misinterpreted by some of the opposition leaders but clarified that the expenditure of the mega festival would not exceed Rs 4 crore. The leaders of the previous government had a mindset of minting crores of rupees by organizing different festivals, he said. He added that the opposition leaders were just thinking about the money but not the positive impact of the festival. He said the opposition leaders did not understand the importance and value of organizing an international knowledge festival but they must know that Kokrajhar got connected with many higher educational institutions of the country and abroad. Many high profile dignitaries like Nobel laureate Mahammad Yunus of Bangladesh and similar dignitaries from different countries came to the festival and shared their ideas and experience to the students and people of BTR, he said, adding that the present government had organized International Literary Festival in 100 languages, the 1st Inter-Sixth Schedule Premier Football League (ISPL), National Hero for Santosh Trophy, Asian Kho Kho championship which never happened in their tenure.

“Our government is planning to construct a convention hall in Kokrajhar, state-of-the-art guest house in Kokrajhar, auditorium hall inside the BTC Secretariat complex, guest houses at Mazbat and Kalaigaon in Udalguri district, rural stadiums in every assembly segment, infrastructure in more than 100 schools and colleges of BTC, toilet and drinking water facilities under 15th finance in every school up to High School, poly technic schools, Gorkha Bhavan and Birsa Munda Bhavan etc. with the budget of 2023-24,” he said, adding that the construction of quarters for EMs and MCLAs was progressing fast and after completion, the representatives would be able to work smoothly.

On the allegation of 16 transferred departments of BTC being returned to the State Government, Boro said that no department had been returned to the State but only DCs of council area had been entrusted to monitor and supervise the developmental schemes. He said the previous government used the officers to prepare schemes, submit proposals and bills but did not make them monitor the implementation of development schemes, for which crores of rupees were misappropriated. He also said the previous government did not stress on the development of human resources, livelihood and development of socio-economic status of the region but the present government had undertaken initiatives for livelihood of people through Bodofa Livelihood Mission, pig mission, handloom mission, milk mission, sericulture mission, mission Finredwmkhang for ex-NDFB cadres and mission Bwiswmuthi for land-related problems.