"Minister's Wife Or Dairy Farmers"? The Angst In Bongaigaon Over Govt Aid

Even as the Assam government rolls out subsidised loans for dairy farmers, ground reports suggest that the real beneficiaries may not be the struggling cattle rearers, but rather the wealthy and well-connected.

In Assam's Bongaigaon, genuine dairy farmers claim they have been left out of the scheme despite years of dedication to the trade. Farmers, who have been in the dairy business for over 12 years, expressed deep frustration over being denied the aid they had applied for five years ago.

"I've been in the dairy business in Bongaigaon for the past 12 years. Around five years ago, I applied for government aid meant for dairy farmers, but to this day, I have no idea where my application went. It might be lying unattended at the district veterinary office or lost somewhere in the system. Despite trying to follow up, nothing ever came of it," a farmer said.

The farmer’s concerns echo a larger controversy brewing over the alleged misuse of the scheme. According to recent media reports, the list of beneficiaries includes names that raise serious questions about the integrity of the process. Among them is Dr. Sankar Kr. Das, a well-known, wealthy businessman in Bongaigaon. Even more shockingly, the names of Assam cabinet minister Jayanta Malla Baruah’s wife and family members of senior BJP leader Siddhartha Bhattacharya have also appeared on the list.

"If this is how the system works, where the wealthy and well-connected corner all the benefits, what hope is left for small dairy farmers like us?" the farmer asked. "How can we ever expect genuine support from the government? At this rate, I doubt we’ll see the benefits of any such scheme in the future either," another dairy farmer added.

As the gap between policy promises and ground realities widens, the plight of Bongaigaon’s dairy farmers stands as a grim reminder of the systemic challenges plaguing agricultural welfare in Assam.

Names That Raise Eyebrows Over Beneficiary List

Adding fuel to the fire is an official letter from the Directorate of Dairy Development, Assam, dated May 2025, which lists 15 individuals selected to receive government-backed training worth Rs 10,000 each for the establishment of commercial dairy farms. The list includes prominent names such as Dr. Sankar Kr. Das (Bongaigaon), Sailesh Choudhury (Astha Dairy), Amit Verma (Umananda Dairy Pvt Ltd.), and Monalisa Bhattacharya (Narayan Dairy Farm), among others. While some on the list are indeed active in dairy ventures, others are known for their financial affluence, raising questions about whether this support is truly reaching grassroots dairy farmers.

As the gap between policy promises and ground realities widens, the plight of dairy farmers stands as a grim reminder of the systemic inequities undermining agricultural welfare in Assam.

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