Kokrajhar, Dec. 10: The United People's Party (UPP), staged a three-hour sit-in in front of the deputy commissioner's office in Kokrajhar against alleged corruption in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and sought the governor's intervention.

Hundreds of party workers carrying placards, banners and shouting slogans demonstrated from noon to 2pm today. The party alleged largescale corruption in the council, anomalies in providing BPL ration cards under the Food Security Act, 2013, and other development schemes.

A memorandum was also submitted to the Assam governor through the Kokrajhar deputy commissioner seeking the governor's intervention and immediate remedies. The demands include equal distribution of BPL ration cards to all beneficiaries according to the Food Security Act, 2013, distribution of land pattas to Scheduled Tribes and traditional forest dwellers according to Forest Rights Act, 2006, by the nodal agencies; stopping distribution of ration cards by the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) activists, appointment of all TET-qualified candidates, provincialisation of all the venture schools and colleges and providing them with sufficient teachers, expediting NRC update process and resolving D-voters problem permanently, appointment of doctors, staff and supply of medicines to all dispensaries, primary health centres, civil hospitals, intensifying school health programme by National health Mission and rehabilitating the victims of December 2014 riots among others.

Party president and former Rajya Sabha MP Urkhao Gwra Brahma accused the ruling BPF of largescale corruption and anomalies in the council, and demanded an audit of budgetary expenditure by an independent agency like the comptroller and auditor general of India.

Brahma said the poor and the oppressed have been deprived of basic health facilities, education, food security and land rights. He added that the D-voters' issue needs immediate intervention by the government. Brahma said the government schemes are not being implemented in a fair manner in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD).

He said the party was open to an "alliance" and "understanding" with like-minded parties and that the party would extend its support to like-minded candidates who would agree to certain conditions of the party.

On the up-coming Assembly elections in Assam, he said the party has set a target in at least 17 constituencies for direct contest.

He said the party was open to an "alliance" and "understanding" with like-minded parties and that the party would extend its support to like-minded candidates who would agree to certain conditions of the party. "UPP is confident that it would fight the assembly polls and would achieve huge victory with popular support for radical change," Brahma added.

Saying that the political parties including the ruling and the Opposition are in great dilemma over their prospects of wining the election because of the fractured view points of the voters in the state, he said, "the UPP is clear enough about the prospect because of its distinct commitments towards the solutions to burning, political and non-political problems of the state. The UPP is also committed to unearth the hidden secrets of rampant corruption in all sectors of rural development like IAY, job cards, MGNREFA, roads, tourism, agriculture, education and others and would make the public aware of such malpractices."