Author:
Publication: The Indian Expres
Date: February 7, 2002
The Assam Government has decided
to order an inquiry into the alleged nexus of some ruling Congress MLAs
with the banned ULFA, according to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
''Reports had come out in the local
media about the nexus and thus it was decided to hold an inquiry at the
government level into the matter'', Gogoi told newsmen after being felicitated
by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) for being adjudged as the
second popular Chief Minister of the country as per a survey of the magazine
'India Today'.
While denying any knowledge about
the possibility of nexus between his party and the militant outfit, the
Chief Minister revealed that even the MLAs concerned had personally written
to him requesting for a thorough probe into the charges.
The local media had reported recently
that two Congress MLAs had links with the ULFA which had created rift among
senior leaders. Gogoi also denied there was any dissension in the party
on any issue whether it was for a ministerial berth or the recent media
charge.
The Chief Minister also disclosed
that he would expand his ministry by first week of next month as ''various
sections of the people and communities as well as areas should be represented''.
''The expansion was overdue as the
ministry should have a broad based representation'', he said.
The Chief Minister announced that
his government would organise a massive training programme of all the officers
to change their mindset for the benefit of the people.
''It was very important the mindset
of the officers are changed and they are not too rigid with the rules which
stood on way of development'', Gogoi said. The Chief Minister hinted that
there would be some hard measures in this year's budget to correct the
economy.
''However care would be taken that
the common people could bear the measures and it was not too harsh'', the
Chief Minister said. (PTI)
