Focus on jobs to counter ULFA plan: Gogoi

Assam has more than 18 lakh youth registered with the state’s employment exchanges while recruitment in the government has virtually frozen over three years now. With little private enterprise in the state, unemployment has emerged as a major problem.

Gogoi also urged the Centre to announce a separate industrial policy for the North-eastern region with special emphasis on small, medium and even the tiny sector. ‘‘There is no possibility for setting up big industries in the region. Thus, small, medium and cottage industries are the only solution to unemployment,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the two-and-a-half-year-old Congress government in the state has managed Rs 250-million dollar loan from Asian Development Bank for infrastructure development. Another Rs 436 crore is in the pipeline for urban development projects in the state capital. Further, the government is also expecting Rs 2,000 crore as German loan assistance.

Dismissing ULFA claims that the Bhutanese operations have not brought a major setback to the outfit, Gogoi said the outfit is on the run.

‘‘While the militants have been flushed out from Bhutan, the ULFA has already set up camps inside Myanmar, which is definitely bad news. The ULFA is currently shifting its camps from one country to another. I have impressed upon the prime minister to prevail upon Myanmar and Bangladesh to crack down on them as soon as possible,’’ he said.