The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday came down heavily on the Assam Government regarding the alleged eviction drive to be conducted in city’s Silsako locality.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, the AAP leadership questioned the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority’s (GMDA) decision to evict the families residing in the Silsako area. They also demanded a probe into the construction of Assam cabinet minister Ashok Singhal’s high-rise building by Protech Group in Guwahati’s Anil Nagar area.
The AAP leadership said, “The Assam Government is preparing to evict the 200 indigenous families settled at Silsako. We want an answer from the GMDA Chairman Narayan Deka who is showing his power by deploying police force to disburse the agitators at Silsako. We question the GMDA why they could not take action against Ashok Singhal who constructed a 20-storey building in Anil Nagar area, which is one of the epicenters of flood in Guwahati. Who gave Ashok Singhal permission to build such a high rise building? We demand a probe into this.”
“On one hand, the GMDA is trying to evict indigenous people. On the other hand, they are giving permission to the minister to set up huge buildings. The Assam Chief Minister also turns blind eye towards these kind of things,” they further added.
The AAP also claimed that on May 7, they had submitted a memorandum to the Assam Governor regarding the illegal construction of Ashok Singhal's building by the Protech Group. According to the AAP, the Governor had assured to hold talks on the matter and take necessary action.
"It's been one month since we submitted the memorandum to the Governor. But till today, we have not received any action from his side. We want to send out strict warnings to the government that if the people of Silsako are evicted, Ashok Singhal's building also has to be demolished."