Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Feb 23 – All Assam Students' Union (AASU) today vehemently resented the latest stand of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on the formation of the North East Water Resources Authority (NEWRA). The Chief Minister has surrendered the cause of the State at the instance of New Delhi, it said.The students’ body has reiterated its demand for formation of NEWRA, reorganization of the Brahmaputra Board and physical protection to the river island Majuli.
In a statement, the students' body has alleged that the demand of the Chief Minister to reorganise the Brahmaputra Board has nothing new in it. The people of the State have been raising this demand for quite a long time, it said. It reminded the Govt that at the tripartite discussion on the implementation of Assam Accord held on May 5, 2005, the Prime Minister had assured steps to declare the State’s problems of flood and erosion as the national ones and spoke in favour of formation of the NEWRA.
However, later following the opposition from the Arunachal Pradesh Govt, the Central Govt asked the Assam Govt to drop the idea of NEWRA and the Chief Minister of the State obliged New Delhi by surrendering the interest of the State. Thus, Assam has lost control over the inter-state rivers flowing through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The latest stand of the Chief Minister has proved that he is a weak leader, said the students’ body.
