Guwahati: Assam MP and deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi on Friday demanded the resignation of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and a probe into the alleged government grants and land acquisition by Pride East Entertainment Private Limited, a company owned by the latter's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. While addressing a press conference in Golaghat, Gogoi said that the matter of the alleged allocation of government grants and land acquisition by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma at various places in Assam is of significant public concern thus demanding CM Sarma to resign in light of the recent developments.
On the possibility of a defamation case filed against him by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, Gogoi welcomed any such legal action and assured that the Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s company in question will be required to present all relevant documents, including land and bank records, in the court of law, believing that it will bring clarity to the entire matter.
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He alleged that the controversy revolves around the approval of Rs 10 crore in government grants under the PMKSY scheme to Pride East Entertainment Private Limited. He raised serious ethical questions on the alleged allocation of government grants, asserting that it hardly matters as to how much money has been credited to the Chief Minister's family's accounts, wherein the government subsidies should have been directed towards the local entrepreneurs and farmers who genuinely needed it.
The Lok Sabha MP also demanded a comprehensive investigation into the rapid acquisition of an agricultural plot of land by a media house owned by Chief Minister Sarma's family and its subsequent conversion into an industrial property within a short period of time.
He expressed concern about the speed and nature of the transactions, emphasising the need for a thorough probe to maintain transparency and uphold ethical standards.
The Congress leader also called upon Chief Minister Sarma to disclose the precise amount of money received by Pride East Entertainment Private Limited along with the form of grants and subsidies received by the company from the Assam government so far, if any, in the interest of accountability and transparency.
He further raised concern for the people of Assam who are grappling with skyrocketing inflation, remarking that the burden of excessive GST, costly gas cylinders, and toll taxes should not fall on the shoulders of the public to benefit a company owned by the Chief Minister's family.
Gogoi said that while the people of Assam are dying of tax burdens, the Chief Minister is flying on helicopters on the taxpayers' money.
The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.
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