GUWAHATI, Sept 14 – Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) secretary Akhil Gogoi today alleged that the State Government is involved in the multi-crore NC Hills scam and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is the kingpin of this scam. He was addressing a press conference at the Press Club here this morning.
Gogoi said that to free itself from the accusation of being involved in the scam, the State Government should allow CBI probe into all the departments of the NC Hills district autonomous council. In this connection with effect from 2001. Moreover, the Central investigation agency should be allowed to bring the autonomous council of Karbi Anglong district, too, under the jurisdiction of this investigation, Gogoi said.
This is needed to disprove the allegation that the ten-year tenure of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is a black period in the State’s history, said the KMSS secretary.
He said that without Government’s involvement in the scam, the then Deputy Commissioner of the Hills district AK Baruah, by dint of his power as the Principal Secretary of the NC Hills Autonomous Council, would not have been able to entrust RH Khan to liaise with all State Government departments. Khan, now in judicial custody, was the Deputy Director, Social Welfare, NC Hills.
“Khan, was entrusted on top of his official duty, to liaise in matters of following up ‘all the sanctions and release of funds, acknowledge receipt of funds released, vide release orders on behalf of the council and furnish utilization certificates department-wise on behalf of the council to the State Government,” said the KMSS secretary.
The KMSS secretary also alleged that a youth minister of the State has obtained a share of Rs 2 crore from the loot of Rs 12 crore 16 lakh plundered by a circle in the name of compensatory afforestation in NC Hills district. The amount was released by the National Highway Authority of India, said the KMSS secretary.
He dared the Chief Minister to tell the people whether he is scared of initiating any step against Himanta Biswa Sarma despite there being a lot of evidence provided by the KMSS to prove corruption of the Minister.
The Chief Minister should also tell the people as to whether he has been admitting indirectly his involvement in the NC Hills scam by keeping Himanta Biswa Sarma and other departments like Health, Forest, Planning and Development, Rural Development, etc., outside the purview of the CBI investigation.
Fresh charges: The KMSS will wait till September 29 for the Chief Minister’s response to the demand for handing over the matters related to Himanta Biswa Sarma to the CBI. Or else, it will start making new exposures on the corruption of the Minister from September 30, warned the KMSS secretary.
Help: The KMSS needs financial help from the people to file a case with the Supreme Court of India in connection with the TADA cases registered against Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma by the Panbazar and Chandmari Police Stations.
Interested people may deposit their donations to KMSS’ Union Bank of India, Chandmari Branch, Guwahati, account (No – 380602011002099) to enable it to file the case during the end part of the current month or in the early part of the next month, Gogoi said.
