Congress wants Gorukhuti project scrapped to resettle encroachers, says CM Sarma

The Chief Minister also said the party had become ‘voiceless’ & inconsistent in its politics;

Update: 2025-07-03 08:53 GMT
Congress wants Gorukhuti project scrapped to resettle encroachers, says CM Sarma

A file image of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. 

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Guwahati, July 4: Amid growing calls from the Congress for a central agency probe into alleged corruption in the Rs 25-crore Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agriculture Project, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit back at the Opposition on Thursday, accusing the party of harbouring an agenda to “resettle evicted encroachers” on the project site.

Speaking to the press at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Udalguri on the first day of his five-day visit to the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Sarma alleged that the Congress was seeking to dismantle the project for political gain.

“They (Congress) want the Gorukhuti project to shut down because they intend to resettle the encroachers in the area. For me, the project is no longer just about profit or loss—it’s about securing government land from illegal occupation,” the Chief Minister said.

Referring to local sentiment in Sipajhar, where the project is located, Sarma said the people of Gorukhuti had made their stance clear.

“Yesterday, they publicly declared that they will shed blood, but will not allow encroachers to return. That, I believe, is a direct response to the Congress and its agenda,” he remarked.

Justifying the earlier eviction drive, the Chief Minister pointed to the strategic significance of the land, especially with the proposed Narengi-Kuruwa bridge expected to boost connectivity and land value in the region.

“If these lands had remained in the hands of encroachers, the indigenous population would have been deprived of future benefits—be it from agriculture or developmental projects,” he noted.

Taking a further dig at the Congress, Sarma said the party had become “voiceless” and inconsistent in its politics.

“They do not speak out against illegal cow slaughter or the dumping of banned meat in religious places. Yet they want to do politics over cow. It’s both ironic and deplorable,” he said.

The remarks come a day after the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged financial irregularities in the Gorukhuti project.

The Grand Old Party alleged large-scale misappropriation of funds, claiming that several ministers and MLAs had enriched themselves through the scheme. It also held the government accountable for the alleged misuse of public money.

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