ULFA (I) opposes land allotment to Patanjali

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, November 8

The proscribed insurgent outfit United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) today raised its opposition to the Assam Government’s decision to allot huge tracts of land to “industrial house” Patanjali Herbals for setting up manufacturing units in the state.

In a statement mailed to the media, the ULFA (I) said: “The ULFA (I) is in principle opposed to allocation of 450 bighas of land to Ramdev’s Patanjali at Balipara in Sonitpur district of Assam at a time when the state government has failed to provide rehabilitation and livelihood options to lakhs of indigenous people displaced by flood, erosion and other natural disasters.”

The ULFA (I) denounced politicians who laid “red carpet” for capitalist entities like Patanjali to Assam thereby converting the state into a “ground of exploitation by colonial Indian forces”.

The foundation of Rs1,300 crore Patanjali Herbal and Mega Food Park, the biggest-ever investment by the company in the country, was laid at Balipara industrial park in northern Assam’s Sonitpur district on Sunday by CM Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of Ramdev, spiritual leader Acharya Balakrishna, MP Babul Supriyo, several ministers of Assam, MPs and MLAs.

Sonowal termed the ceremony a historic moment for the people of Assam as the unit would generate direct employment of over 5,000 people benefiting the youth as well as the local farmers. He said the Herbal and Mega Food Park would start production in a record time of 99 days.

Ramdev said: "This Balipara unit of Patanjali would produce worth Rs20,000 crore annually with an annual production capacity of around 12 lakh MT. We aim to start production formally on February 15, 2017.”

Ramdev promised that cent-percent profit would be dedicated to the welfare of Assam by setting up schools and skill development centres in each district and by establishing a higher education institute in the state.

He called upon local farmers to plant herbal and medicinal plants so that that they can supply their produce to the unit to reap benefits. The plant would even produce rice bran oil from the remains of the rice husks.