A litany of queries to Centre from AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: AICC (All India Congress Committee) general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why he (PM) has different stances on the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act). He said that the PM favours CAA while addressing poll rallies in West Bengal, he speaks against the Act in Tamil Nadu and keeps mum on it in Assam.

Addressing the media at Rajiv Bhawan here on Thursday, Surjewala said, "Our alliance in Assam has a number of parties; but among them, the BJP has targeted only the AIUDF. Why? The basic differences between the Congress and the BJP are that we make, they break. The Congress created national assets but the BJP is selling them." Surjewala also said that since the Prime Minister has come to Assam, the Congress has a litany of questions for him to respond to.

"In Majuli on March 26, 2016, the Prime Minister appealed to the public to vote and they (they government) would build a bridge over the Brahmaputra. Now we ask him as to why there was no development related to it. On the eve of the Assembly polls, why are they serving up lies by doing 'bhoomi poojan' of the bridge from Majuli to Jorhat?

"In 2017, the Central government announced that on either bank of the Brahmaputra a 1,300-km Expressway will be built by spending Rs 40,000 crore. However, on February 8, the government informed the Rajya Sabha that there was no such proposal to build any Expressway. Why has the Centre cheated the people of Assam?

"The Centre and the State government also announced around 20 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 11,000 crore. However, the rate of progress of most of the projects is either zero or in single digit. Why aren't these projects progressing?

"According to a Central government's records, Assam has been lagging behind the other States of the country on many fronts like State GDP growth rate, 'PMAY (Urban)', 'Jal Jivan Mission', welfare of child and mother, among others. Why does Assam have to face such a fate?

"According to a survey conducted by a government agency, Assam is the most unsafe State for women. In the last three years, the women across Assam have fallen prey to 80,794 cases against them. The BJP has made Assam the hub of child trafficking. Half of this type of crime happens in Assam only. How will you answer about the crime against women?

"The 'Pradhan Mantri Awaaz Yojana' was started on June 25, 2015. But till now, out of 2.19 lakh families selected, only 20,895 houses were constructed by the government. Does the BJP government have any answer to this?

"Under the 'Jal Jeevan Mission', the Centre promised to the people of Assam that out of 63.25 lakh rural families, 59 lakh families would get water under the scheme. However, after 3 years why are 56 lakh families deprived of this scheme still now?"

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