In response to the controversy over the Rs 10 crore in subsidies obtained from the central government by a company owned by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife, Congress MP and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi today wrote to Union Industries and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and sought his immediate intervention into the issue.
In the letter, the Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, “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. 10,00,00,000 to M/S Pride East Entertainment, the promoter of which is Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the wife of Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma. On the 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 North Eastern States as on January 31, 2022 vis a vis the State of Assam. At Serial No.7 of the list, the name of M/S Pride East Entertainment Private Limited has been mentioned. Pertinently, the amount of approved Grant-in-Aid is mentioned as Rs. 10,00,00,000. The list of beneficiaries can also be found on the website of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.”
He stated that it is clear from your response in the Lok Sabha and the list of beneficiaries on the Ministry of Food Processing Industries' website that Rs. 10,00,00,000 has been sanctioned in the name of M/S Pride East Entertainment Private Limited. However, the Assam Chief Minister, whose family members own and control the aforementioned firm, has denied receiving or claiming any cash from the Government of India. Therefore, for the interest of public transparency, the Congress MP has urged the Union Minister Piyush Goyal for his intervention in the matter so that the real facts come out in the open.
“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 utilize the tax-payers money in the proper manner,” added MP Gogoi in the letter.
Earlier, Member of Parliament, Gaurav Gogoi, held a press conference last Friday addressing a matter of significant public concern regarding the allocation of government grants and land acquisition in Assam.
MP Gaurav Gogoi has made a crucial call for the resignation of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in light of recent developments.
MP Gogoi has raised serious ethical questions about this allocation, asserting that It hardly matters as to how much money have 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 Chief Minister's family and its subsequent conversion into industrial property within a short period of time at a lightning speed. 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 M/S Pride East Entertainment in the form of grants and subsidies from the Assam state government so far, if any.
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.
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. People are dying of burdened taxes Chief Minister is flying on helicopters on tax payers money.
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. He believes this will bring clarity to the situation.
