GUWAHATI: Gauhati University Teachers’ Association (GUTA) in its Executive Committee meeting recently deliberated on the cabinet decision wherein an ordinance was released to ease out establishing micro, small and medium scale industries.
The association has termed the ordinance as suicidal to the interest and future of the indigenous people of the state.
The provision of the ordinance on land as made public by the minister, industries and commerce, the government of Assam wherein the mandatory environmental assessment, permission from the department of revenue have been expunged and incorporated the provision for automatic conversion of agricultural land to industrial one, were criticized heavily citing that these provisions are going to snatch the right of the indigenous people over their land in the name of expediting industrialization in the state.
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It was further opined that this ordinance is going to extend unlimited privilege to the industrialists from outside the state who have already settled with a significant portion of agricultural land in different parts of the state. The cultivators are going to be deprived of their right over their land as there is hardly any cultivator in the state capable of establishing industries as compared to those of the land grabbers.
The association also reminded the government of the decision made on December 21 2019, wherein it was promised to bring a law restricting selling and buying of land within the indigenous people of the state, and also reminded of the report of the Harishankar Brahma Committee on land reforms in the state which is accumulating dust in the dossiers of the government.
GUTA demanded immediate withdrawal of the ordinance and replace the same with an industrial policy to open avenues to serve the interest of the unemployed youths and safeguarding the right over the land of the indigenous people in the state.
GUTA further demanded making the report of the high power committee on implementation of clause 6 of the historic Assam Accord.
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GUTA further resolved to extend its solidarity to the civil societies towards raising their voice against the continued imprisonment of the anti-CAA protesters for months together now.
The Association has further demanded that adequate livelihood measures be taken up to ensure the security of all sections whose livelihood sources have been adversely impacted by the lockdown strategies pursued by the government to contain the spread of COVID 19 epidemic in the state.