Former Silchar MP Sushmita Dev on Tuesday said internal fight has intensified within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after coming to power.
Dev, who is the national president of All India Mahila Congress, brought this allegation while addressing a press conference in Silchar on Tuesday.
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The former MP said, “Assam minister Parimal Suklabaidya and sitting MLA Dilip Kumar Paul’s staying away from the foundation stone laying ceremony of an amusement park at Silchar held on September 5 shows a massive internal fight is going on within the BJP.”
She added, “Minister Parimal Suklabaidya stayed away from the foundation stone laying ceremony attended by Assam urban development minister Pijush Hazarika.”
“Sitting Silchar MLA Dilip Kumar Paul’s observation and ideas are not listened to by the BJP-led municipal board members and this is a grave concern for all of us.
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Also read: Assam: Black flags waved at minister Pijush Hazarika in Silchar
“More than these, the internal fight going on between them is harming the residents of Silchar. But neither Silchar MP Dr Rajdeep Roy nor any other MLA is opening mouth in this regard,” said Dev.
She also came down heavily on urban development minister Pijush Hazarika.
Dev said, “I am surprised that minister like Pijush Hazarika, without reading the bye-laws of a municipal board, wherein, it is clearly written that whenever a government land is to be leased, an approval of the government has to be taken, came for laying the foundation stone.”
She further added, “I would like to ask him whether he has read the rules for a scheme under Atal Mission Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), where a sum of Rs 3.30 crore has been sanctioned including Rs 2.8 crore earmarked for beautification of the park.”
“My question is why the amount specified under AMRUT for the beautification of this park has not been utilized earlier,” said Dev.
She also questioned, “There was no limitation for the AMRUT scheme. The mystery lies why didn’t the municipal board of Silchar, run by BJP-led members and the chairman, approach the government to utilise the whole 18 bighas of the park land for its development.”
Dev also hit out at Pijush Hazarika for his alleged remark while talking to the people of Silchar that whether they want an amusement park or not.
She further said, “The person, who received tender of Rs 2.8 crore for the beautification of the park under AMRUT scheme, had to deposit Rs 16 lakh as a performance guarantee fee.”
“While the private party, to whom the municipal board wants to hand over this park, would only have to give Rs 10 lakh as a guarantee fee,” she added.
“The chairman of the Silchar Municipal Board has to give an explanation for such a ‘favour’ for a particular builder,” said Dev.