Congress slams Bongaigaon circuit house handover to hotel-owner

Bongaigaon. July 21: The Congress party’s newly-appointed Bongaigaon district unit president Girish Barua on July 19 addressed a press meet at Rajiv Bhawan here in the town on various issues of Bongaigaon district.

In the press meet, Barua opposed the handing over of Bongaigaon Circuit House to the owner of Hotel Jahnabee Regency, criticizing local legislator Diptimoyee Choudhury and Barpeta MP Phani Bhusan Choudhury for their shameful silence on the issue.

The circuit house charged Rs 200 for a room for government guests and Rs 500 for civilian guests. Meals were provided at the rate of Rs 100 to Rs 150 per plate, Barua said.

After the Circuit House operation was handed over to the hotel owner, the room tariff has been allegedly increased up to Rs 1,600 and the charges for the meal are being taken as per the hotel rate which is manifold higher than the normal rate of the Circuit House, he added.

Barua also alleged that due to the District Library auditorium lying non-functional for the past three years, most of the government events are being held either in Hotel Jahnabee Regency or at the privately-run Birjhora Public Library which cost huge sums of government money.

On the eviction at the Paglasthan daily market, Barua said that without any plan to provide an alternate site for the poor indigenous vendors, the administration had completely closed the daily market for which both the poor vendors and local people are suffering now.