Himanta assures Hojai of ‘Mama Ki Warranty’

Guwahati: Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday hit the campaign trail in Hojai district, where Hindu voters have traditionally been BJP’s vote bank.
Being an important assembly segment in central Assam, Hojai has always been a centre of Hindutva mobilisation, even as Muslim voters too play a determining role.
But Sarma did not play the religion card in Hojai.Instead, he reiterated his “Mama (Himanta) Ki Warranty” promise, under which he announced financial assistance of Rs 1,250 to every family holding a ration card.
Sarma’s campaign was centred around the assurance to provide govt jobs to 1.5 lakh educated youths in a year — 50,000 more than what was promised earlier. In July and August, Sarma said vacancies will be filled in the police and education departments and in the third and fourth grades.
Promising to make policing more people-friendly, he said people in Assam will now simply need to dial 102 for the police to reach their doorsteps. He added that when the 102 helpline is launched, OCs of a police station and other police officials will reach the home of the dialler to assist them. “FIRs will be received at home,” he said. He said 300-400 youths will operate the call centre from Dergaon.
From the state govt’s flagship scheme Orunodoi to the “Lakhpati Baideo” scheme that will offer Rs 35,000 financial assistance to 40 lakh women entrepreneurs, Sarma’s speech focussed on good governance and ambitious schemes rather than any religious angle.
Sarma also promised a new medical college and a facelift to road infrastructure in and around the district. Sarma iterated that six months after the election, the issue of ‘D’ (doubtful) voters faced by Bengali Hindus will also be resolved permanently. It was a busy Sunday campaign schedule for the CM, who addressed several rallies in Bokakhat, Hojai and Dergaon assembly segments under the Kaziranga seat, where BJP has fielded Kamakhya Prasad Tasa this time.