The much talked about disclosure of assets by ministers in Assam seems to have opened the Pandora’s box, with Assam minister chief minister Tarun Gogoi himself caught hiding his assets.
According to affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India in 2006 Assembly elections, chief minister had declared to have a plot of land in Beltoa area near capital city worth `7.5 lakhs but in his latest declaration of assets displayed on Assam portal since January 15, the price of the same plot of land measuring one bigha has depreciated to `1.5 lakh.
The alleged disproportionate assets of Assam ministers has already become a major issue ahead of Assembly elections with Opposition charging chief minister and ministers of “lying and hiding” their assets.
Former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta who is in the forefront of entire campaign against the ruling Congress government told reporters, “If chief minister Tarun Gogoi himself was lying about his assets, what kind of transparency this government has been maintaining, people would judge for themselves.”
Referring the comptroller and auditor general report published by this newspaper for the first time, Mr Mahanta said, “If corroborate the attempt of chief minister and his ministers hiding their assets and rampant corruption, it speaks in volume about the performance of the Congress government.”
According to declarations of ministers, handloom textile and sericulture minister Pranab Gogoi is the richest with `4 crore property but his disclosure has put his Cabinet colleagues in trouble.
As Mr Gogoi’s plot of land measuring 3 bigha at Sibsagar, a district town has been assessed worth `3 crores whereas the market value of 3-bigha of land owned by industry minister Pradyut Bodoloi near capital city of Guwahati has been valued worth `7.90 lakhs only.
The disclosure of assets revealed that health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma does not have house though he took a house loan in 2006. Similarly forest minister Rockybul Hussain has bought 70 bigha of agricultural land by spending only `15 lakhs after 2006 elections. BJP secretary P. Chndrashekhar said, “Its nothing but a joke. This reflects the arrogance of CM and ministers who do not hesitate in lying despite holding constitutional offices.”