GUWAHATI, Feb 21: Opposition MLAs in Assam on Wednesday staged a walkout from the assembly after expressing dissatisfaction over the state agriculture minister’s reply regarding Gorukhuti project as they claimed that the initiative was running into heavy losses and demanded the reinstatement of farmers evicted from the area by the government.
Opposition legislators maintained that agriculture in Gorukhuti in Darrang district was profitable under the farmers who were cultivating at their own expense, before the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government carried out an eviction drive in the area in 2021 and initiated a government project.
The matter was raised during Question Hour by AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam, who wanted to know the investment and income from the Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agriculture Project so far.
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In his reply, agriculture minister Atul Bora said the project has so far received Rs 17,67,93,348 from the government under various heads.
Of this amount, Rs 9,52,93,348 was allotted when the project was run by the Darrang district commissioner’s office, and Rs 8.15 crore after it came under a managing committee.
The project was run by the district commissioner’s office, with the support of the local agriculture office, till July 21, 2022. After that, it was handed over to a managing committee as per a Cabinet decision, he added.
In the same reply, Bora also said that Rs 3,30,48,993 has been spent since project initiation on agriculture-related purposes such as procurement of seeds and related inputs, farm machinery and tractor hiring.
Against this, Rs 2,79,76,624 has been earned by selling various agricultural products, with another additional income of approximately Rs 1.58 crore expected, he said.
As the minister maintained that there was no question of loss, the AIUDF legislator countered him by pointing out that the actual total investment in the project has been over Rs 17 crore.
Islam maintained that agriculture was a profitable venture when the farmers used to cultivate on their own and he demanded that the same farmers be once again allowed there, though they may not be given settlement rights.
Bora countered the AIUDF MLA by claiming that the latter seemed more interested in bringing back the previous cultivators and maintained that the project is a profitable one for the government.
The opposition parties AIUDF, Congress, CPI(M) and the lone Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi expressed dissatisfaction over the minister’s reply, claiming that the Gorukhuti project has been a failure, and staged a walkout from the House.
The incumbent government had carried out an eviction drive in Gorukhuti area soon after coming to power in 2021.
Around 1,200-1,400 houses, mostly belonging to Bengali-speaking Muslims, were razed to the ground on September 20 and 23 of 2021 in Dhalpur I, II and III villages, leaving over 7,000 people homeless. Village markets, mosques, kabarstans, madrassas and maktubs were also bulldozed.
The eviction drive, which passed peacefully on the first day but conducted amid stiff resistance by the local people on the second instance, also left two dead in police firing on September 23, including a 12-year-old boy who had got his first identity proof, an Aadhaar card, just before he was shot dead.
Over 20 people were injured, including policemen, during the massive eviction drive. (PTI)
