Former All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) president, Promod Boro has been hogging media headlines ever since his resignation from the coveted post at the two-day special convention of the organization in Baksa district which concluded on Thursday.
There have been wide spread speculations of his joining active politics ahead of the Bodoland Territorial Council polls scheduled to be held in the first week of April in the four districts namely Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri.
Sources said the former student leader known for his diligent and soft spoken nature may join former Rajya Sabha MP Urkhao Gwra Brahma-led United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
Boro has been busy attending the series of public rallies welcoming the Bodo pact in the Bodo belt.
Also read: ABSU for implementation of Bodo Accord in time-bound action plan
He attended a rally at Mushalpur in Baksa district of Assam on Saturday along with National Democratic Front of Boroland-Progressive (NDFB-P) Publicity Sectetary, B Bodosa among some local leaders of United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).
The rally was participated by nearly a thousand gathering which reverberated the air with high pitched slogans hailing the government and the signatories of the pact.
Promod Boro hailing the pact said, “The Bodo pact will provide right to dignity to everyone and will go way long in protecting the language, culture and ethnic identity of all the communities including Bodos residing in the Bodo belt”
He said, “The people of the region are batting for change of guards in the forthcoming polls as there have been anti-incumbency wave against the ruling Bodoland People’s Party(BPF) an ally of BJP led by Hagrama Mohillary .”
He further said, “The signatories of the pact must be given the responsibility as the people have lost the faith in the ruling BPF.”
Lambasting the BPF he said, “There have been deep rooted corruption in the BTC and the central government packages have been misused and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2017 has also unearthed a scam and misappropriation.”
“I want to live with my individual identity of Promod Boro and my only interest is al? round growth and development of Bodo community,” he said.
“There are many in the field of politics but scarcity of real leaders who ought to generous working for the social cause of the society not one alienated from the society,” he added.
The CAG report in 2017 unearhed scam in tune of 200 crores and noted how the chief of the Bodoland Territorial Council incurred unauthorized expenditure of Rs 180.33 crores between 2010-11 to 2013-14.
The BTC chief carried out these unauthorized expenditure as ‘chief’s discretionary’ activity, but no such power or authority was delegated to the BTC chief, the CAG report said.
The CAG report found the BTC, under supplementary nutrition programme of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), had procured Britannia Marie Gold biscuits for Rs 45 per packet, almost double the MRP (maximum retail price) of Rs 27.
The BTC got schoolbags for Rs 556 each, much higher than the prevailing market price. The BTC also procured 824 HP Laser Jet P-1108 printers for Rs 11,950 each, while the MRP of these printers was only Rs 6,599.
Hagrama Mohillary led Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), an ally of BJP is reigning the council.
Currently, BPF has 27 members, UPPL has seven, BJP has one and independent candidates have five seats in the 40 member council.