Congress leader Debabrata Saikia slams Assam CM over 'unconstitutional statements'

GUWAHATI: Congress Legislature party leader Debabrata Saikia, on Friday, released a statement slamming the state government, particularly chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for "unconstitutional statements."

Saikia took potshots at the government for releasing ads in major newspapers terming reports of non-payment of power bills to Assam State Electricity Board by government departments as "misleading."

"The Assam government today released big advertisements in different newspapers saying that reports about non-payment of power bills to Assam State Electricity Board by government departments are misleading. They are also saying that the state government has been making payments, time to time, to ASEB every year from 2018 and the amount thus paid up is nearly Rs. 4895 crores. They mean to imply that since the government has been making payments to the electricity board from time to time, the departments need not pay the power bills," Saikia said.

Saikia alleged that the "whole statement is misleading and the state government is trying to fool the people of Assam."

He pointed out that the collection and distribution of electricity are regulated by the Assam Electricity Duty Rule, 1964. "After this, matters related to the collection of electricity dues and distribution were resolved by the government side, electricity supply authorities and consumer groups through the Assam Electricity Regulatory Board, which was set up to determine when to send notice if a consumer does not pay on time when to disconnect power, when to approach the court for payment and so on," he stated, adding that there is no mention anywhere that government officials have to produce latest power bill for getting their salaries.

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He also said that there is also no mention in any rule that government departments paying subsidies to the electricity boards do not have to pay for the electricity consumed by them. "So, both the issues are against the law or rule," he said.

Pointing out that the Rs 400 crores paid by the state government recently to ASEB as subsidy was meant for purchasing power from outside. Saikia said that due to "corruption," there was no increase in production and power had to be bought from outside the state to meet the demand.

He also pointed out that, in the last budget, the CM had promised to provide 30 units of electricity free to every family in the state.

Since poor families are already being provided 30 units free every month, Saikia said, the question remains whether 30 more units will be provided free, taking the total to 60 units. He has sought clarification on this issue.

Saikia also demanded clarification about a statement by the CM in June 2021 wherein he had stated that the electricity board was suffering a loss of 300 crores every month and demanded a CBI inquiry on the 4 years of administration by the power department.  "The then power minister Pallab Lochan Das, in an answer in the state Assembly in 2017, said that ASEB was making a loss of Rs 50 lakhs every month. The huge difference begs a CBI inquiry," he said.

Saikia also lambasted the CM for an alleged attempt to turn the Assam Police into "trigger-happy cops."

"It is against the Constitution as ‘right to life, right to live’ is guaranteed in Article 21. The Supreme Court mentions 6 special conditions under which this right is denied, exclusively for self- defense purposes. If the police, due to their own inefficiency, lets a criminal escape when under custody and then shoots him, it is against the law," he said.

Saikia today also demanded that the petrol and diesel be brought under the ambit of GST as he believes "the price of petrol has crossed Rs 100 only due to taxes imposed by the state and central governments."

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