Congress-AIUDF showdown over refugees

GUWAHATI, Dec 11: The Assam Assembly today witnessed a straight showdown between the ruling Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on the issue of permanent rehabilitation of riot-affected refugees now languishing in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts. While the AIUDF said the amount which the Congress-led State Government is going to dole out for the rehabilitation of riot-affected refugees is not enough, the ruling party said whenever the Government goes ahead to solve the problems of refugees once and for all, the AIUDF puts hurdles so as to keep the problem alive in order to derive political mileage out of it. The ruling party asked the AIUDF not to play dirty politics with the fate of the poor people.

After the Question Hour, State Revenue Minister Bhumidhar Barman informed the House that the State Government would rehabilitate the riot-affected refugees in the State by paying them at the rate of Rs 50,000 per family and that the relevant Bill amounting to Rs 60 crore was passed by the Assembly in its current session. “Since we can’t provide them land for their rehabilitation, we are going to provide them Rs 50,000 per family for purchase of land,” Barman said.

It was soon protested by the AIUDF on the ground that Rs 50,000 per family was too small an amount for rehabilitation. The party said that the amount for rehabilitation of each riot-affected family should have been Rs 10 lakh, apart from a house under the Indira Aawas Yojana (IAY).

Forest and Environment Minister Rockybul Hussain then said: “The State Government had a meeting with the AIUDF on the rehabilitation of the riot-affected refugees and the party agreed to the Government’s move. Why should the party object it now? Why didn’t the party raise its objection before the passage of the supplementary demand for the rehabilitation of riot-affected people? In fact the AIUDF wants to keep the problem of riot-affected refugees alive in order to derive political mileage out of it.”

Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma then said: “When the Government took a move to rehabilitate the riot-affected people two years back, AIUDF leaders instigated them not to take any Government assistance with the assurance that the party would provide them better rehabilitation packages. After two years when the State Government has taken this move to rehabilitate the refugees, the party is putting hurdles yet again. There shouldn’t be any politics with the life of poor people.”

Following that, there was a hot altercation between the members of the ruling Congress and the AIUDF, leading to a noisy walkout by the latter. Members of other opposition parties, however, did not accompany the AIUDF in the walkout. THE SENTINEL