Guwahati, Mar 7: Opposition parties in Assam on Friday called for a special package to address the development disparities in the state’s char (riverine vegetative islands) areas, highlighting the lack of basic facilities such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Congress MLA Abdul Batin Khandakar introduced a resolution in the Assam Assembly, urging the government to provide a dedicated package to uplift these underserved areas. Khandakar emphasized that the char regions, predominantly inhabited by Bengal-Muslims, are facing issues such as low literacy rates, inadequate healthcare services, and high population growth, which hinder overall development.
Khandakar suggested that improving literacy rates and boosting economic activities in these areas should be a priority. Congress legislator Abdur Rasheed Mandal also called for a detailed survey of the char areas and special budgetary allocations to address their development needs.
AIUDF legislators Ashraful Hussain and Rafiqul Islam supported the demand, with Hussain pointing out that the last socio-economic survey of these areas was done in 2003. Islam raised concerns over the lack of land rights and urged the government to not only carry out land surveys under the Basundhara 4.0 initiative but also ensure land allotment to resolve land-related issues.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, on behalf of the Minority Affairs Minister, explained that delays in fund releases were due to pending utilization certificates (UCs) since 2008. He assured that the government was working to resolve the issue and secure additional funds from the Centre.
Patowary argued that the government was already working on various schemes for the welfare of the char areas and claimed that there was no need for a special package. After the minister’s reply, Khandakar withdrew the resolution, urging the government to focus on reducing the high school drop-out rate and creating awareness on population control in the char areas.
