The central government has reportedly asked the state government to undertake immediate fiscal reforms and has put up certain conditions to sign the MoU. The conditions are a ban on filling up all existing vacancies of government posts and then abolition of 50 per cent of vacant posts every year, ban on provincialisation of private education institutions, restructuring of the ASEB and setting up of electricity regulatory commission, revision of power tariff, privatisation of the ASTC and impounding of DA to government employees for next three years.

The Assam state committee of the CPI(M) vehemently opposes the centre’s proposal and warns that these conditions, if accepted, will spell disaster to the people of Assam. The menacing problems of unemployment in the state will assume a dangerous proportions and will hit the last hail on the coffin. The sufferings of the students, teachers and employees of the venture schools and colleges will also be multiplied. All sections of the people in the state will be forced to suffer and the government employees will also not be spared if such conditions are implemented.

The CPI(M) demands that the Assam government should strongly oppose the conditions put up by the centre and it must refuse to sign such an MoU. The government of West Bengal has already opposed similar conditions and declared its refusal to accept and implement the conditions imposed by the centre. The signing of such an MoU will be suicidal of Assam.

The CPI(M) also condemns the Vajpayee government for pursuing such a policy which is quite detrimental to the interest of the people of Assam. The party demands that the centre must sympathetically view the worsening financial positions of the economically backward and trouble-torn state of Assam and must provide financial assistance without any conditions.