The recent scheme for 350 higher secondary students from each districts for free educational trip to Guwahati may be taken as a case in point. The government says these students will get a personality development scope while they will exchange their views with the students in the city.

Another welfare talk in the time of poll, is the announcement of a committee for the people in the tea gardens. Headed by labour minister Rameswar Dhanowar, the committee will look into the socio-economic problems besetting the tea community.

But going by what a cross section of the people say, the lollypop scheme will be less a boon and more a bane for the government.

The first one indicates that the Tarun Gogoi government\\'s preference always goes to the city students although a bird\\'s eye view on the recent academic scenario makes it clear that the rural areas have not been lagging in the backstage of progress in the intellectual scenario during the last thirty to forty years.

It therefore, sounds paradoxical under what circumstances, the government has to take this decision and as a result, it will fail to lure the voters for whom it meant.

Secondly, barring 14 years, the Congress has been in power for 42 years and the tea community has been making a commendable contribution to ruling clique in the form of vote bank. But during this period, the community has been deprived of their due rights and privileges making a few labour unions like Asom Chah Mazdoor Snagha and INTUC etc and its leaders as Sikhandis.

On the other hand, the government has been shielding the management only to continue its exploitation on the people and thereby it uses to pick up the first buck. Instead, the Tarun Gogoi government cares not even an iota to shoot the labourers dead in the street for their dues.
There is no denying the fact that the newly constituted body for the tea people will be nothing but a Sikhandi\\'s committee and the government aims not only at wooing the hearts of these voters but also targets a strong poll fund by exherting pressure on the tea lobby.

Hardpressed by the 56 year long treachery and exploitation by Congress, AASU, ULFA, AGP et al, the politically matured people in Assam are aware of the fact that there will be change of a section of dalals as guards only, in Delhi and Dispur and not the political scenario of the country. Global economic policy has been dominating state\\'s economy.

Taking cue from the \\'India Shining\\' by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi too in the publicity binge in media in the form of \\'Chief Minister\\'s Bold Steps. The governments from any parties are bound to do what they have done during the last couple of years only because of the global economic policy pressure and its facelift for information technology, roads, rural areas development, with health corner.

The moot point in question is what the Tarun Gogoi government has done for the state\\'s socio-economic development during the last three years? What about the foreign investment scenario in Assam during this period? How many local industries are there on the state\\'s industrial front? Is there any tales to tell the increase of fish production? And the production in the field of rice? Less said is better.

During his tenure with the record of Japan trip, former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta only opened the floodgate of SULFA-checkgate and syndicate industry on coal, fish, eggs, potato and what not.

But Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi dressed it afresh what his predecessor Mr Mahanta left half done the syndicate-industry with the help of a section of his youth cadres.

Led by a retired IAS officer, a fake NGO was paid a huge amount from the state exchequer in the name of a market for the small enterpreneurs.

These are all that can be attributed to the Congress government in Assam during the last three years which is reflected in the state\\'s economic development scenario.

The people can not hope much from such a Chief Minister who runs amuck to Sonia medam in Delhi at the cost of state exchequer only to appoint chairmen to the corporations.

Pankaj Duarah
Kahilipara, Guwahati