Unprecedented growth in Assam's industry, claims minister

Starting from the 80s, the minister said, industry in Assam was bogged down in bandhs, curfews, kidnappings and extortions, but there was a dramatic change in the last three years.

"Since 2001 several steps have been taken to revive industry and power," Bordoloi told reporters here.

Representing the Margherita constituency in volatile upper Assam, dominated by the banned ULFA, the veteran politician said that Assam was known for its dominant tea and oil industry, but "sadly there had been a decline due to faulty policies of previous governments".

In this, he acknowledged the role played by the Centre which, he said, realised that there should be rapid industrial growth to offset the decline suffered in the preceding years.

The minister noted that the government of India accepted the N E industrial investment policy and again in 2007 added a special policy guideline, so that the policy becomes more viable for outside investors.

"To develop the industrial sector, we have taken up a flagship programme for multipurpose development centre and we have planned resource mapping," Bordoloi said.

"By extracting fibre from the industry based on water hyacinth, we have helped the women folk particularly from the districts of Goalpara and Dhubri," he said.

On reviving the once-dominant firecracker industry in Barpeta district, the minister said, "Special steps have been taken to revive industry and expertise have been sought from Tamil Nadu".

On the problems of setting up big industries, the minister admitted there were problems in this regard and the main difficulty was "scarcity of land".

"Unlike Gujarat and Haryana no one here owns big plots of land, but on the basis of the NE Industrial policy we will give more emphasis on village level industries particularly those associated with the agri sector which will be beneficial to the common man," Bordoloi said.