The Hindu : National : PM cancels Kokrajhar visit due to bad weather

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PM cancels Kokrajhar visit due to bad weather

Sushanta Talukdar

Guwahati: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had to cancel his scheduled visit to Kokrajhar in lower Assam on Tuesday due to inclement weather.

Dr. Singh was scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a new university and a planetarium and science museum-cum-children park in Kokrajhar, headquarters of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC),

Assam Panchyat and Rural Development Minister Chandan Brahma announced the cancellation of the Prime Minister’s visit.

About 30,000 of people, who had gathered at Debargaon returned home disappointed.

On Monday Dr. Singh’s scheduled visit to Nagaon was also cancelled due to inclement weather but the Assamese translation of his speech was read out in absentia.

BTC Chief Hagrma Mohilary, however, told the crowd that the Prime Minister had assured him of coming back to the State soon to lay the foundation stones for the university and planetarium at Kokrajhar.

Mr. Mohilary also said Dr. Singh on Monday assured a delegation of the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) of extending the special BTC package of a yearly financial assistance of Rs. 100 crore for the next three years.

The delegation, led by the BTC chief, requested the Prime Minister to grant the Scheduled Tribe status to the Bodos in Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills and provide the tribal council a special package for education.

Mr. Mohilary said Dr. Singh assured them that he would look into their demands.

On Monday night, delegations of the Asom Gana Parishad, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Assam State Jamiat walked out of the Raj Bhawan in protest for “being made to wait for nearly two hours, though they came well ahead of the time fixed for their meeting with Prime Minister at 5.30 p.m.”

Leader of the Opposition Chandra Mohan Patowary alleged that though they reached the Raj Bhawan well in advance they were kept waiting for nearly two hours while the Prime Minister was having a meeting with a trade delegation.

The two political parties and the Jamiat delegation had sought a meeting with the Prime Minister to apprise him of the prevailing situation in the State over the foreigners’ issue.

A Pradesh Congress Committee delegation that called on Dr. Singh urged him to facilitate updating of the National Register of Citizens by the State government at the earliest towards finding out a permanent solution to the vexed foreigners’ problem.

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