Diphu : Assam Agriculture Minister and Karbi Anglong district Guardian Minister Pijush Hazarika on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its stand on the protection of Kaziranga National Park, accusing the Opposition party of failing to protect Assam’s one-horned rhinoceros during its earlier tenure. Speaking in Diphu, Hazarika questioned the Congress’s recent focus on Kaziranga and alleged that the party was now raising conservation concerns despite its past record. He also criticised Congress leaders over their understanding of environmental regulations. “The Congress, which killed rhinos and destroyed Kaziranga, is now talking about protecting Kaziranga,” Hazarika said, while taking a dig at a Congress leader who had studied abroad. He alleged that the leader did not understand the distinction between an Eco-Sensitive Zone and an “Economic Sensitive Zone”.
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Hazarika also questioned what form of agitation the Congress planned to undertake over the Kaziranga issue and asked the party to explain its record on rhino conservation to the people of Assam. The minister was in Diphu to attend several official programmes. He chaired a review meeting with senior officials of the Agriculture, Irrigation and other departments at the Kazir Ronghangpi Guest House. At an agriculture industry programme later in the day, Hazarika highlighted government-backed agricultural loan schemes and urged farmers in Karbi Anglong to make effective use of them to improve their livelihoods.
He announced that development schemes worth at least Rs 400 crore would be undertaken in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong over the next five years. The government, he said, also plans to plant five lakh fruit-bearing saplings annually in each of the five Assembly constituencies across the two hill districts. The minister further said discussions were held on expanding palm oil and makhana cultivation in the region as part of efforts to diversify agricultural activities and strengthen rural livelihoods.
