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Debjit Mukherjee: Earlier in the day, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi took to X accusing the chief minister’s wife of obtaining a substantial Rs.10 crore credit-linked subsidy under the ‘Kisan Sampada scheme’.
Gogoi who represents the Koliabor seat in Assam, alleged the Centre had given a Rs.10 crore subsidy to a private company run by Rinki Sharma. “Is this why people are paying tax?”, he questioned.
Gogoi’s accusation was based on a news report carried on Sunday on a website namely Cross Current. The report alleged that Bhuyan’s company ‘Pride East Entertainment’, in which she holds the majority stake, had purchased nearly 10 acres of agricultural land in Kaliabor Mouza (which falls in Gogoi’s constituency) in February 2022– nine months after Sarma had taken charge as the chief minister.
The report further alleged that the agricultural plot was converted to industrial land within months and Pride East Entertainment applied for a subsidy under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana to set up a food processing unit and for that, the Union food processing ministry approved a subsidy of Rs.10 crore to the company on November 10 last year.
“PM Narendra Modi launched the Kisan Sampada Scheme to double the income of farmers in India. But in Assam, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma used his influence to help his wife’s firm get Rs.10 crore as part of credit linked subsidy. Are central government schemes meant to enrich BJP?” Gogoi questioned in another post.
Reacting to Gogoi’s post, Sarma countered saying that neither his wife nor the company she is associated with has ever received any financial subsidies from the central government.
“I would like to reiterate again with full responsibility that my wife and the company she is associated with have not taken or received any subsidies from the Government of India,” Sarma posted on X.
Replying to Sarma’s post, Gogoi shared an image while also attaching a link to the ministry website which showed a list that included both names of Pride East Entertainment and Bhuyan. “The Ministry of Food Processing website clearly shows the name of the person and the company she is associated with. The Rs.10 crore government grant has also been approved. Please report to the Union Minister if their website has been hacked,” he added.
