'Assam Accord' to be Violated by Privatization of NRL: Assam Congress MPs Outside Parliament

New Delhi, November 19, 2019:

Assam Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi (Kaliabor), Pradyut Bordoloi (Nagaon), Abdul Khaleque (Barpeta), and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora staged a demonstration in New Delhi against the privatization of the Numaligarh Refinery. The Congress MPs, during the demonstration, demonstrated that the privatization would also be a direct violation of the Assam Accord.

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Holding placards and raising slogans in front of the Parliament, the Congress MPs tried to bring the Government's attention to the problems that could plague the state if the Centre goes through with the plan to privatize the refinery.

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Speaking to mediapersons, Ripun Bora said that the "The stepmotherly attitude of the Centre towards Assam, and the privatization of the refinery, an outcome of the historic Assam Accord, will not be accepted."

Pradyut Bordoloi, meanwhile, urged the Government not to sell the BPCL, which owns 60% stake of the Refinery, and stated that the identity of the Refinery, as a public sector entity, should be retained.

It may be mentioned here that the Numaligarh Refinery is located at Morangi, Golaghat district, Assam in India is a refinery owned by Numaligarh Refinery Limited, a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum, Oil India and Govt of Assam.

After the Government's decision to privatize the NRL, many indigenous organizations and politics bodies took to the streets in protest.

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