Chittagong Port access beneficial: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

A CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT: With Bangladesh giving access of its Chittagong Port to India, cargo will be ferried by waterways from Assam and other parts of Northeast via this shorter and cheaper route to Kolkata ports. This was stated by Union Cabinet Minister for Ports, Shipping, Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday. He also extolled Prime Minister Narendra Modi for according priority to the Northeast and his extraordinary vision for the region.

Addressing three meetings here on the third and final leg of his three-day 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra', the former Chief Minister of Assam virtually turned his speech into an election campaign in Mariani.

Slamming the Congress for allegedly neglecting the State, Sonowal said that prior to Independence, Assam was a very rich State as indicated by the per capita income which was six times more than the average per capita income of the country. "However, in the past 60-70 years when the Congress had mostly ruled the State, the economy was pulled into an economic morass," he said.

"In contrast Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rightly gauged the economic potential of Assam and the region and is working overtime to achieve this end," he added.

In Mariani, apart from castigating the Congress for not doing much to uplift the lot of the tea tribes which has a sizable population in Mariani Legislative Assembly Constituency, Sonowal said that the BJP is undertaking many schemes to uplift the community. These include the educational schemes, besides the health and monetary aid deposited into their bank accounts.

It may be mentioned that the Mariani Assembly constituency would soon be facing a by-election after the seat fell vacant following the resignation of the sitting MLA of the Congress Rupjyoti Kurmilast month and his joining the BJP. He belongs to the tea tribes community.

Addressing the gatherings, Union Minister of State for Petroleum &Natural Gas, Labour &Employment, Rameswar Teli said that the headquarters of OIL (Oil India Limited) would be shifted from Delhi to Assam. This was a long-standing demand of the people. Regarding the proposed merger of ONGC Assam Asset with OIL, Teli said that it was yet to be finalized.

In Jorhat, Sonowal was accorded a rousing welcome and felicitated by several organisations and individuals at the Sri Sri Pitambar Deva District Library. Among the MLAs who felicitated him with a Phulam Gamosa was Titabar MLA of the Congress — Bhaskar Jyoti Baruah, besides Jorhat MLA Hitendra Nath Goswami.

Felicitation of Sonowal was done at Mariani and Dhekiakhowa. At the historic and sacred Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar, Sonowal offered prayers and also addressed a meeting nearby. Sonowal also had lunch at the Namghar. In Kenduguri, he stopped his convoy and was felicitated by the local people.

Also Read: Former Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Arrives in Guwahati for Jan Ashirwad Yatra

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