<p>Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that his meeting with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was not political but on matters that are mutually beneficial for both states.</p>.<p>Sarma, who was briefing reporters in Delhi, had given rise to speculations that he had engineered the Trinamool Congress’s abstention from voting for the Opposition candidate, senior Congress leader Margaret Alva.</p>.<p>“I was meeting her as the chief minister of West Bengal and had declared the meeting before I even left. We spoke about the Numaligarh pipeline which will pass through the border, as well as several border issues,” Sarma said.</p>.<p>Sarma has been in the Capital for several engagements, including the swearing-in ceremony of President Droupadi Murmu, as well as the meeting of the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states last Sunday.</p>.<p>He told <em>DH</em> that while several CMs of BJP-ruled states have spoken of the need for Uniform Civil Code, the party’s stand is clear on the matter.</p>.<p>“The BJP’s stand on the matter is not vague, it has been stated before. As far as the position of our government is concerned, it is quite obvious,” Sarma said.</p>.<p>Responding to the matter of more states echoing the need for a population policy, he said Assam has had a policy on the matter. Assam’s population policy, brought into effect in 2021, curtails benefits to those with more than two children, including government jobs.</p>.<p>Speaking on the Opposition’s accusations that the government is pushing for sales of the tricolour as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, Sarma said these are baseless posturing. “I would assume that everyone has the Indian flag at their homes, why would they need to buy one. And what is the problem in showing your love for your country,” he said.</p>.<p>During his visit to Delhi, Sarma met a host of senior ministers. Meeting external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Himanta asked that one of the 45 meetings of the G20 Summit should be held in Assam. He also requested health minister Mansukh Mandaviya to complete the AIIMS in Assam by this year.</p>.<p>“I also met home minister Amit Shah and asked him for help with dealing with the loss of infrastructure after the Assam floods. We are doing an assessment of the loss by August 6,” he said.</p>.<p>Sarma also met Food and Public Distribution, asking him to delay the Aadhaar seeding for beneficiaries for one more month since the final date is July 31. “The Aadhaar coverage in Assam is now 96% but the seeding in districts like Dima Hasao and North Kachar Hills are slow as the internet is patchy,” Himanta said.</p>
<p>Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that his meeting with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was not political but on matters that are mutually beneficial for both states.</p>.<p>Sarma, who was briefing reporters in Delhi, had given rise to speculations that he had engineered the Trinamool Congress’s abstention from voting for the Opposition candidate, senior Congress leader Margaret Alva.</p>.<p>“I was meeting her as the chief minister of West Bengal and had declared the meeting before I even left. We spoke about the Numaligarh pipeline which will pass through the border, as well as several border issues,” Sarma said.</p>.<p>Sarma has been in the Capital for several engagements, including the swearing-in ceremony of President Droupadi Murmu, as well as the meeting of the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states last Sunday.</p>.<p>He told <em>DH</em> that while several CMs of BJP-ruled states have spoken of the need for Uniform Civil Code, the party’s stand is clear on the matter.</p>.<p>“The BJP’s stand on the matter is not vague, it has been stated before. As far as the position of our government is concerned, it is quite obvious,” Sarma said.</p>.<p>Responding to the matter of more states echoing the need for a population policy, he said Assam has had a policy on the matter. Assam’s population policy, brought into effect in 2021, curtails benefits to those with more than two children, including government jobs.</p>.<p>Speaking on the Opposition’s accusations that the government is pushing for sales of the tricolour as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, Sarma said these are baseless posturing. “I would assume that everyone has the Indian flag at their homes, why would they need to buy one. And what is the problem in showing your love for your country,” he said.</p>.<p>During his visit to Delhi, Sarma met a host of senior ministers. Meeting external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Himanta asked that one of the 45 meetings of the G20 Summit should be held in Assam. He also requested health minister Mansukh Mandaviya to complete the AIIMS in Assam by this year.</p>.<p>“I also met home minister Amit Shah and asked him for help with dealing with the loss of infrastructure after the Assam floods. We are doing an assessment of the loss by August 6,” he said.</p>.<p>Sarma also met Food and Public Distribution, asking him to delay the Aadhaar seeding for beneficiaries for one more month since the final date is July 31. “The Aadhaar coverage in Assam is now 96% but the seeding in districts like Dima Hasao and North Kachar Hills are slow as the internet is patchy,” Himanta said.</p>
