Only hard work, not andolon, can bring development: Home Minister Amit Shah

* Modi government has changed the popular narrative of 'andolon'

* 100% implementation of BTR Accord before 2024

* Assam to have 23 medical colleges

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre has changed the popular narrative that only "Andolon" (agitation) can bring about development to Assam and other parts of the Northeast.

"The Modi Government has proved that andolon is not required for the development. The only requirement for development is hard work and cooperation. This is my first visit to Assam after the 2021 Assembly elections results. The people of Assam have given their mandate to the BJP for the second consecutive term. There were various analyses and debates about the mandate for the BJP. There were analyses that the BJP was consolidating its base in Assam and other parts of the Northeast. But my analysis is completely different. I consider that the people of Assam have given their mandate against agitation, terrorism and the gun culture. So that is why the BJP has come to power for the second time in Assam," Shah said.

The Home Minister was speaking at the function at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra auditorium on Sunday evening. During the function, Shah distributed cheques of Rs 1 lakh each to family members of those who died of Covid-19 under the "Prarthana Achoni" and ceremonially laid the foundation stone Tamulpur Medical College and Hospital.

"I am extremely happy to launch the scheme of setting up Tamulpur Medical College & Hospital as it is one of the promises made by the Narendra Modi Government in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) agreement. Today I would like to assert here that the BTR agreement will be fully implemented before 2024 to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the Bodo people and bring lasting peace to Bodoland. We will approach the Bodo people to seek the mandate for the BJP in the 2024 general elections by fully implementing the BTR Accord. We are also to fully implement the Bru agreement in Mizoram by 2022 by solving decades-long problems of the Bru refugees. Before the Modi government came to power piles of agreements signed during the previous Congress regimes were gathering dust. It is the Modi Government which opened the Assam Accord for implementation," Shah said.

Shah said the Modi Government has been able to eliminate certain "irritating" factors that never allowed peace and development in the Northeast. "Before the BJP government came to power in Manipur there were minimum 10 days bandh or strike in the State every month. Now there is no bandh or strike in Manipur. The BJP wants unique cultures, linguistic diversities, the ethos of NE to be an integral part of India," he said.

Lauding the roles played by the present Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and former CM Sarbananda Sonowal to execute the Prime Minister's mantra of development in Assam, Shah said he is amazed to see development and progress made in the field of healthcare in the State. The Home Minister on Sunday also inaugurated the radiotherapy block at the State Cancer Hospital at the premises of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH).

"While I was inaugurating the radiotherapy block some doctors briefed me that the State Cancer Hospital is one of the very few hospitals in the country to have highly advanced machinery to detect and treat cancer. I was there when the Tata Trust chairperson Ratan Tata came to Assam to launch a massive cancer care project. Today I am happy to know that eight cancer care hospitals are being set up in Assam," Shah said. Referring to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's announcement that the State would have 23 medical colleges & hospitals in the days to come, Shah said Assam would perhaps be the only state in the country having medical colleges in proportion to its population.

Speaking at the function Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the range of ambitious healthcare projects being executed by his government. Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for signing the BTR Accord, he said many clauses of the historic Accord have already been implemented. He said the State would witness 100 per cent implementation of the BTR Accord soon.

Announcing that Assam will complete 1 crore Covid-19 vaccination by Monday (July 26), Sarma said the State is fully prepared to tackle the possible third wave of Covid. He thanked Shah for assuring that the State would receive adequate doses of vaccines in August and September. The State has so far inoculated vaccine doses among 97 lakh people.

The Chief Executive Member (CEM) of BTR, Pramod Boro while speaking at the function expressed his gratitude for inking the BTR Accord and implementing the same.

Health & Family Welfare Minister Keshab Mahanta said the proposed Tamulpur Medical College & Hospital would be able to attract students from neighbouring country Bhutan. He said it is the second medical college being set up in Bodoland.

Also Read: No dearth of funds for Northeast, timely utilization a must: Home Minister Amit Shah

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