By our Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Sept 26: A virtual cold war between Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Union Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Santosh Mohan Dev seems to have reached its peak.Gogoi, in his capacity as PWD Minister, had sent a priority list of ten roads to the Union Surface Transport and Shipping Ministry for the fiscal 2008-09. At the eleventh hour, Union minister Dev also submitted a list of roads with the help of some Asom PWD officials, and the result is that the Union Surface Transport and Shipping Ministry sanctioned the list that had been submitted by Dev at the eleventh hour. Only one road of Jorhat from the Chief Minister’s priority list was included among the sanctioned roads, sources said, and alleged: “Dev could get Rs 62 crore for two Silchar roads sanctioned with his influence on Union Surface Transport and Shipping Minister TR Baalu, Surface Transport and Shipping Director General G Saran and Surface Transport and Shipping Chief Engineer Kamalesh Kumar.The question that arises now is: Whose writ from Asom runs in New Delhi — Gogoi’s or Dev’s? Baalu draws flak from various quarters in Asom for his alleged inclination towards Silchar leaving the fate a number of deplorable roads of the State in the lurch. Circles concerned also questioned Dev as to what he had done for Asom, barring his home Lok Sabha constituency, as an influential Union minister in his tenure. Despite repeated attempts, Union minister Dev could not be contacted for his comment. source: sentinel assam
No cold war with Gogoi: Dev
If Union minister Santosh Mohan Dev could get amounts sanctioned for road projects in Silchar, why did he fail to get amounts sanctioned for other road projects in the State which Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had listed and sent it to the Centre as a priority?
Special Correspondent
SILCHAR Sept 27: “There is no question of competition or cold war with Chief Tarun Gogoi. My concern is not only for Barak Valley or my home constituency, it is for entire Asom. I have no differences with the Chief Minister, and I am always ready to work with him for the development of the State.” This is how Union Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Santosh Mohan Dev reacted when asked to comment on the news item published in this daily on September 27 under the headline “Gogoi-Dev cold war at its peak”. The news item in question stated that while the Union Shipping, Road Transport and Highway Ministry sanctioned only one of the ten roads for which Tarun Gogoi had submitted a list, the entire list of roads sent by Dev was approved and sanctioned. This raised the question: Whose writ from Asom runs in New Delhi, Gogoi’s or Dev’s?
Dev said a lobby is active to send wrong messages to create a cleavage in political leadership and divide between the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys, which is most unfortunate. Without blaming the press for carrying such reports, he said a bureaucratic circle in PWD(R) is behind creating a hype over issues by distorting facts. He said that Barak Valley and its development should not be viewed in isolation.
The Union minister went on to clarify that he had brought the matter of upgrading Silchar roads under Central Road Fund to the knowledge of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi vide his fax message sent on August 12, 2008. The Chief Minister forwarded two DPRs estimated at about Rs 29.9 crore and Rs 33 crore for improvement of urban and rural roads with funds under CRF of the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways. He had also sought cooperation of the Chief Minister to have reputed contractors in possession of sufficient plants and machinery for the works.
Dev said the only problem is of technical formalities. Tenders were called in short time which have been rectified so as to float them in the usual notice of one month. This has also been in the knowledge of the Commissioner and Chief Engineer of PWD (R) at Dispur. He said this will delay the formalities to start work after the Puja.
Dev further clarified that he had taken up the matter with Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Shipping Road Transport and Highways Minister TR Balu and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. He also made it clear that it was in response to the demand of people for improvement of roads that he impressed upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for sanctioning of fund as a special assistance for improvement of major roads, lanes, by-lanes and drainage system of the urban and rural areas. The Prime Minister showed his benevolence by sanctioning Rs 63 crore, he said, adding that due to the promptness of the Asom Government, the work could be started soon.
source: sentinel assam
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