Peace for development, AGP's main poll plank

GUWAHATI, April 26: Peace for development is the focus of the election manifesto of Asom Gana Parishad. The manifesto which was released by the party president, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, here this morning, pledges to carry on its efforts to bring back peace to the insurgency ravaged State if the party is voted to power in the forthcoming polls. The regional party poll manifesto identifies insurgency as the major impediment in the path of development and reiterates its commitment to provide security to lives and property of common people in the State. The AGP also highlights that the party does not believe that the use of Army is the only solution to the problem of insurgency notwithstanding the incumbent AGP government's policy of banking on the armed forces to root out militancy in the State. Regarding the burning problem of infiltration which is threatening to alter the demography in the State, the regional party poll manifesto highlights the need to solve the problem without causing harassment to genuine Indian citizens living in the State. It promises to mount pressure on the Centre to solve the problem for good by plugging all loopholes thereby preventing any illegal foreign national from settling down in the State. However, the AGP manifesto does not make any reference to the party's stand vis-a-vis the controversial IMDT Act although the party earlier advocated for repeal of the Act which it felt was putting up hurdle in detection and deportation of illegal migrants. The AGP promises effective measures to develop the char areas of the State in all sectors including health, agriculture, education, communication etc., in an attempt to make inroads into the Congress bastion among the minority voters from char areas. To woo about 60 lakh tea tribes voters in the State, the AGP, in its poll manifesto, promises to take up special programme for welfare of the tea tribe community. The regional party whose present government miserably failed to enforce revision of tea wages as per recommendations of the expert committee, promises to solve the problem of tea wages and other facilities to tea workers. The AGP notwithstanding its failure to hold panchayat polls during its present five-year rule, promises to provide constitutional safeguards to the panchayati raj system in the State in the spirit of decentralisation of power to the grassroots level for expediting the development process. The AGP reiterates its stand for decentralisation of more power to the State and adoption of the federal structure of government in the country. It also raised demand for self determination to the State to make the state government self-sufficient as far as development is concerned. The AGP manifesto highlights the party's strong stand for review of the Constitution and bringing about necessary modification in order to ensure uniform development in all parts of the country, equal rights to all citizens, equal justice and national security. The AGP poll manifesto gives priority to the development of Guwahati in view of its growing importance in the development of the entire Northeastern region. In addition to developing the basic facilities in the city, the AGP promises to set up satellite townships in the periphery of Guwahati to reduce growing pressure on the city.