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Regarding the alleged allocation of government grants and land acquisition in Assam, Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi on Friday called for the resignation of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in light of recent developments, Gogoi said in a statement.
The statement from Gogoi's office alleged, "The controversy revolves around the approval of Rs 10 crore in government grants under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) to Pride East Entertainment, a company owned by the Chief Minister's wife Riniki Bhuyan." In the release, MP Gogoi raised serious ethical questions about this allocation, asserting that it hardly matters as to how much money has been credited to the Chief Minister's family account wherein government subsidies should be directed toward local entrepreneurs and farmers genuinely in need of support. Furthermore, MP Gogoi has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the rapid acquisition of a substantial agricultural land plot by a media house owned by the Chief Minister's family and its subsequent conversion into industrial property within a short period of time at lightning speed, alleged the release. He has expressed concerns about the speed and nature of these transactions, emphasizing the need for a thorough inquiry to maintain transparency and uphold ethical standards. "In the interest of accountability and transparency, MP Gaurav Gogoi has called upon Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to disclose the precise amount of money received by Pride East Entertainment in the form of grants and subsidies from the Assam state government so far, if any," said the release. He underscores the importance of applying uniform ethical standards to both central and state government grants saying if accepting money as grants from the Union Government is considered as not ethical, grants from the state govt to the accused company be treated the same way, it alleged. The release added that MP Gogoi has voiced the concerns of the people of Assam who are grappling with high inflation. He argues 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. He said that the people are dying of high taxes and the Chief Minister is flying on helicopters on taxpayers' money, it alleged. Regarding the possibility of defamation proceedings, MP Gaurav Gogoi welcomes any legal action and assures that the accused company will be required to present all relevant documents, including land and bank records, in a court of law, said the release. (ANI)
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