Congress MLA from Mariani Rupjyoti Kurmi. Image: Northeast Now

Congress legislator from Mariani Rupjyoti Kurmi on Friday spewed venom at the BJP-led coalition government in the state and said the decision of the government to provide mobile phones to the sardars of the tea gardens is nothing but a ‘gimmick’.

Addressing media persons in Guwahati, Kurmi urged the government to supply textbooks in the schools of tea garden areas of the state for the development of the tea garden communities academically instead of providing mobile phones to the sardars.

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“That is what we would call development,” he said.

Kurmi said, “BJP uses this kind cheap politics ahead of election to protect the vote bank. But, people of the tea garden areas can understand the utmost negligence done by the government.”

Lashing out at the state government, Kurmi questioned, “Why no MLA from tea garden community has got cabinet rank in the ministry?”

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“There are three MLAs from tea garden community but no one got berth in the Sonowal cabinet. Only Pallab Lochan Das has been made the junior minister,” Kurmi said.

Kurmi further questioned, “Why has the Duliajan constituency MLA Terosh Gowala not been appointed as the chairperson of Assam Gas Company Limited? Is it because he is from tea garden community?”

Kurmi alleged that Sonowal government is not working for the development of the tea tribes in the state.

Kurmi accused the All Assam Tea Tribes’ Students Association (AATTSA) of working in connivance with BJP for which the AATTSA has also maintained ‘stoic silence’.