Assam: 11 parties join hands to protest against oilfields auction

Hundreds of agitators took out the march from Guwahati Club point halting traffic completely for hours and submitted a memorandum for Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to immediately stop the auction of the oilfields, mainly those in Assam.

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A senior police officer said the protestors were arrested when they did not pay heed to the force’s requests to clear the road. Section 144 of CrPC is already under force in Guwahati.

Asom Gana Parishad, a partner of ruling BJP in Assam, has opposed the auctioning of the 12 oilfields in the state and appealed to the Centre to reconsider the decision.

AGP senior leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta visited the arrested protesters at the police station and supported their demand.

“In no way will we accept any anti-Assam decision. We request the Centre to reconsider auctioning of Assam’s 12 oilfields,” Mahanta told reporters later.

“In no way will we accept any anti-Assam decision. We request the Centre to reconsider auctioning of Assam’s 12 oilfields,” AGP senior leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said. (source: PTI)

All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) have also strongly opposed the central and state governments’ move to privatise the oil fields in Assam.

Last month police lathicharged farmers of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti protesting against auctioning of the oilfields at the venue of a roadshow in presence of Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Pradhan had said at the programme that the 67 oilfields have reserves of Rs 70,000 crore that are not monetised yet and for the 12 oilfields in Assam, it stands at Rs 17,000 crore.