Gogoi criticises Centre for not setting up IIM in Assam

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today criticised the Union human resources development ministry's decision not to set up a single Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Assam, despite the state making requests for it in the past. He said the Centre's decision has "left Assam high and dry".  

Giving a political colour to the Centre's decision, Gogoi said that in spite of repeated requests for setting up an IIM in Assam, non-inclusion of the state in the list of recently announcement six IIMs is "another example of how the BJP led government at the Centre is paying only lip-sympathy to the state".

In a statement, Gogoi said: "Before coming to power the BJP made tall promises for the Northeast, however the manner in which Assam is left out from the recent announcement is another example of NDA's neglect to the state."

The Centre has cleared the proposal for setting up of six IIMs at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sambalpur (Odisha) and Amritsar (Punjab).

Though no IIM, Assam has an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) near Guwahati. Its neighbouring state, Meghalaya, has an IIM in picturesque city of Shillong, which is around 100 km from Guwahati.  

Moreover, Gogoi disapproved the Centre for its "sinister motive" of destabilising the state governments in Northeast. He further said that contrary to its 'Act East Policy' the Centre deprived the Northeastern states of 'Special Category State Status', "thereby delving a blow to all development activities including generating avenues for employment in the region".