Assam Subsidy Row: Gaurav Gogoi Seeks Centre's 'Intervention' Over Rs 10 Cr Grant To CM Himanta's Wife

The MP stated that the Ministry of Food Processing has awarded Rs 10 crore to M/S Pride East Entertainment under the PMKSY and Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Clusters.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.

Source : X/@INCIndia

Guwahati: Assam's Member of Parliament (MP) and Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, on Monday wrote to Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, to intervene on the issue of a Central government subsidy of Rs 10 crore allocated to the firm owned by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, for the interest of public transparency. 

“It has come to notice that the Ministry of Food Processing under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) and Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Clusters, has allocated an amount of Rs 10 crore to Pride East Entertainment Private Limited, the promoter of which is Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the wife Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma,” Gogoi stated in the letter.

“On March 22, 2023, the office of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, while replying to questions in Lok Sabha as to whether the government has taken initiative to invest in Assam in order to support the promotion of industries, has given a list of food processing projects supported under component of PMKSY in the northeastern states as on January 31, 2022 vis-à-vis the state of Assam. At serial number seven of the list, the name of Pride East Entertainment Private Limited has been mentioned. Pertinently, the amount of approved grant-in-aid is mentioned as Rs 10 crore. The list of beneficiaries can also be found on the website of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries,” the letter read.

“It is apparent from your reply in the Lok Sabha and the list of beneficiaries on the website of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, that Rs 10 crore has been approved in the name of Pride East Entertainment Private Limited. However, the Chief Minister of Assam, whose family members own and control the said entity, has denied receiving or claiming any amount from the government of India. Therefore, for the interest of public transparency, I humbly request your kind intervention in the matter so that the real facts come out in the open,” Gogoi further stated in the letter.

“In my humble opinion, established media channels who want to venture into a new business should seek credit from the financial sector. Government grants must be given to the genuine and needy beneficiaries who have displayed the expertise to utilise the tax-payers money in the proper manner,” the letter read.

Earlier this month, Gogoi had demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sarma and a probe into the allocation of government grants and land acquisition by the company owned by the latter's wife.