Congress seeks probe into alleged irregularities in Gorukhuti scheme; CM says only “sick” cows sold to MLAs
A flagship agricultural initiative by the Assam government has triggered a major controversy, with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi demanding a probe into alleged irregularities in the Gir cow component of the Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agriculture Project. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the sale of “sick” cows to legislators, citing logistical constraints.
The Gorukhuti project, launched to promote self-reliance and modern farming on 77,000 bighas of land cleared from encroachers in Sipajhar (Mangaldoi district), is now mired in claims of falsified transport records and non-transparent cow distribution. An RTI reply by the Gorukhuti society revealed that out of 300 Gir cows procured from Gujarat through NDDB-NDS, only 210 were received at the site, while 90 were distributed to farmers by public representatives due to insufficient infrastructure. Of the 210, 56 cows reportedly died and 154 were returned.
Records show cows were sold to various individuals, including legislators and private firms, for Rs 66,000 each. Among them: Jonai MLA (10 cows), Gohpur MLA (4), GMDA vice chairman and two MLAs (2 each), and JMB Aqua Agro Ltd (20). Reacting to the uproar, CM Sarma said, “The cows were unwell, and some MLAs volunteered to buy them when project staff couldn’t manage them.”
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, however, called for a central probe, writing to the Prime Minister: “Funded with over Rs 25.5 crore in public money, the project’s goal of inclusive development is compromised if benefits go to politically connected individuals.” He also criticised CM Sarma for allegedly defending the inclusion of ministers’ relatives in a separate dairy scheme meant for entrepreneurs.
