Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's speech (Read Out in Absentia) at Public Meeting, Nagaon

PM was unable to land at Nagaon due to inclement weather. (The speech was read out in absentia)

I have great pleasure in being here with you today in the State that I have adopted as my home. The people of Assam have always showered me with affection. For me, a visit to the State is a homecoming.

I am especially happy to be here at Nagaon which is the birth place of Sri Sankardeva, the great Vaishnavite Saint and reformer. Sri Sankardeva not only brought about reformation in his sphere of religion but also energized the entire cultural life of this region. Its arts, literature, dance and music. He brought about a synthesis of the different cultural strains representing our composite culture. Sri Sankar Deva represents the finest in our tradition of rising above narrow concerns. His vision of life was truly Indian.

Today, the great social and cultural harmony that India represents is being questioned. Some people do not appreciate that the very ethos of being Indian is to accept different streams of thought, faith, caste and language. There have been similar challenges even in this region and we have been finding solutions through dialogue. The Assam Accord initiated by late Shri Rajiv Gandhi ji is an example of what can be achieved through the process of dialogue. Our government has been reviewing the implementation of the Assam Accord and is committed to ensure its implementation in letter and spirit.

We should collectively ensure that any effort to create disharmony in society is not permitted. In our country, enduring solutions can only be found through discussion and the democratic process within the framework of our Constitution. Let us collectively protect our social and communal harmony and isolate those who threaten it.

Your Chief Minister has kept me regularly informed about the issues facing the people of the State. The Government of India and the State Government have been working together jointly to resolve these issues. I am happy to say that we have been successful in many areas.

In the last four and a half years of our government, our effort has been to ensure that Assam and the North-East region claim their rightful place in sharing the fruits of national development. We have changed the national policy in many sectors to respond to the specific requirements of Assam and the North-East region. For example the Central Govt. support under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been increased to 90%. The Central share for the scheme of drinking water supply in rural areas has also been increased from 50% to 90%.

Lack of good infrastructure in the North East is an issue our government has tried to address with the highest priority. There would be substantial investment in the Eleventh Plan for infrastructure. Our vision is to have a completely infrastructurally connected North-East by the end of the Plan period.

For Assam, the Plan size has been doubled from Rs 12,000 crore in the Tenth Plan to over Rs 24,000 crore in the Eleventh Plan. Work has begun on the Assam Gas Cracker Project. The Bogibeel project has been taken up as a national project. The thermal power project of the National Thermal Power Corporation at Bangaigaon and work in the coal mines in Upper Assam will all help the economic development of Assam.

Our government has sought to ensure that the needs of the common man are addressed in a time-bound manner. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme now covers all districts of Assam. It ensures that every person seeking employment is assured employment for 100 days in each year. In Assam, last year over 14 lakh households were provided work under the programme. A large number of rural assets have been built in the state at an expenditure of nearly Rs.1200 crore. To build good roads in our villages through Bharat Nirman, 4445 habitations in Assam have been taken up. Water supply, electricity and telephones are being provided to each village. The Backward Regions Grant Fund covers 11 districts of Assam and 13 minority concentrated districts have been taken up for special development. The Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission has sanctioned a nearly Rs 200 crore water supply expansion programme for Guwahati.

I am worried about the recurrence of floods in Assam and the damage they cause. Our Government has taken major initiatives to address this problem. During the 11th Plan, 75 schemes at an estimated cost of Rs. 430 crore have been sanctioned for flood control in Assam. We will continue assisting the State in all possible manners to tackle this problem. I have issued instructions for examination of the problem with a view to finding longer term solutions. I understand that Phases 1 and 2 of the river protection works on Majuli island are being implemented. I assure the State Government of funding support for Phase 3 also. This year we have provided Special Plan Assistance of Rs. 20 crore for the development of Majuli.

The North-East has a unique advantage in its water resources. States of the region must utilize this collectively as a major economic resource. In exploiting the hydro-power potential in the region, the interests of all States of the North-East will have to be harmonized. I am happy to know that there is now a consensus emerging on my suggestion of setting up a North Eastern Water Resources Authority to plan and implement the use of the mighty waters of this region. Arunachal Pradesh can benefit hugely from the electricity generation through hydel power, while Assam simultaneously benefits from reduction of floods.

I am happy that the expansion and modernization of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bardoli International Airport, and new railway lines that connect Assam to Meghalaya and Mizoram will open up new development opportunities.

Along with infrastructure and employment, education and health are major priorities of our government. I am happy that during this visit I am attending two functions, one relating to health and another related to education. The National Rural Health Mission is supporting Assam to strengthen its rural health institutions. Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a large number of schools have come up in the State with all the children getting cooked mid-day meals.

We are committed to the industrialization of Assam and other North Eastern States. The North East Industrial Investment and Promotion Policy that our government put in place in 2007 will catalyze more and more industrial projects in the region. There are signs that industrial activity has picked up in the North East. In 2007-08 the total cost of projects sanctioned by the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation was about 37% more than in 2006-07. The disbursement also increased by about 22% in the same period. The substantial back-log under the transport subsidy scheme has been cleared. I am happy to inform you that we will extend the transport subsidy scheme beyond 2008-09 also.

We have also taken steps to support the revival of the tea industry in the State.

The Central and State Governments will continue to work together to develop the latent potential of Assam and other North Eastern States in Tourism and Information Technology. Assam is blessed with great scenic beauty and this combined with its rich culture and heritage provides immense possibilities in Tourism. In Information Technology, a beginning has already been made to tap the talent of the people of the region. I am looking forward to visiting the software training centre which Tata Consultancy Services have established at IIT- Guwahati. We need more such projects in Assam.

All these investments in infrastructure and industrial projects, employment, education and health will help Assam to become a leading State in India which is my wish for the State. The underlying thread in all efforts of the UPA government has been to provide new opportunities to everyone in the country, especially to those who are disadvantaged. Our efforts are now bearing fruit.

The North East has immense development potential and we will make every effort to ensure that it is realized. However, the continued activities of insurgent groups create a climate of fear and insecurity not conducive to rapid economic development and new investment in Assam and other North Eastern States. It is, therefore, essential for all citizens of Assam to use their collective wisdom to persuade the ULFA to give up the path of insurgency and confrontation. I have said on a number of occasions that power in a democracy flows from the ballot rather than from the bullet and that all grievances of the people of Assam can be addressed effectively in our democratic polity. I, therefore, call upon the ULFA to join the national mainstream and work with all of us for rapid social and economic development of Assam.

I compliment Shri Tarun Gogoi ji for his inspirational leadership. His has been an onerous responsibility. Despite the many problems, he has successfully steered the State on the path of development for the last 7 years. His initiatives under the Mukhyomantri schemes have produced good results. He has worked tirelessly to ensure an environment of peace and security in which everyone has a share in the fruits of development. The Central Government is with him in his endeavors and I assure him of our full support.

At the end let me once again say that the development of Assam and the well being of the people of the State is very dear to my heart. We want Assam to be one of the fastest growing States in the country. We, together with the State Government, will do everything possible to achieve this. I am sure that our efforts will usher in a new era of prosperity in Assam and the North East. I wish the people of Assam all the best.

I hope to be back in the North East soon in connection with the inauguration of the Kumarghat-Agartala railway line, which was a major initiative taken by this government as a national project. The distinct problems of that area including the Barak valley are also high on our priority.

Jai Hind.