GUWAHATI: Aasu-backed AJP has constituted an Economic Planning Advisory Council under the chairmanship of renowned financial-economist and former diplomat Jaimini Bhagwati.
While former bureaucrat CK Das, retired additional chief secretary of Assam, is the vice-chairman of the council, it has several subject experts from India and abroad as members. The new regional party borne out of the anti-CAA movement has already resolved to provide an earning source to at least one member of a family, if they come to power in the upcoming Assam elections.
“AJP is committed to establishing economic and social uplift for all legitimate residents of Assam. This is equally important for the safety and security of the people of Assam. We are taking an initiative to develop a financial and economic roadmap with practical short, medium and long-term steps to strengthen Assam’s economy through government and self-help steps, so that in future, Assam’s government can help provide adequate employment and create the infrastructure and environment wherein entrepreneurship can flourish,” said AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi.
In the Indian federal system, AJP said there were two major responsibilities of a state with full statehood. “A fundamental one is to ensure security of the life and property of people and the next in importance is to lift the standard of living of people through social and economic development,” Gogoi said.
“Since independence, various factions of Congress have ruled our state for 55 years, Janata Party for less than two years, AGP for 10 years, and BJP for five years. All along, insufficient attention of national parties to problems of Assam and lack of proper planning and adequate technical expertise of subsequent governments have failed to address Assam;s issues,” he added.