Gaurav Gogoi writes to Piyush Goyal over allocation of funds to company associated with Assam CM’s family

New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday wrote to Union Minister Piyush Goyal demanding answers over the allocation of funds from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) to a company associated with the family of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In a letter to Union Minister of Commerce Goyal, Gogoi highlighted the issue and called for transparency.

In his letter, Gogoi pointed out that 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, the promoter of which is Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Chief Minister of Assam.

He said that 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 North Eastern States as on January 31, 2022 vis a vis the State of Assam.

He also said that 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,” he said.

“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,” he said.

He also said that 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 Assam Chief Minister’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma bought 50 bigha 2 kata of agricultural land in Kaliabor Dargaji village in Nagaon district after Sarma became the CM two years ago.

Citing an RTI report, it was claimed that as per the ceiling law, no one can own more than 49.5 bigha of agricultural land and therefore, after the Chief Minister's wife bought the land, its class was changed to industrial land.

Gogoi and Sarma had engaged in a bitter war of words over the issue on social media platform X and traded barbs at each other in the last few days.