As part of the Gorakhuti project, cows were distributed without clear criteria, favouring connected individuals
NEW DELHI — An RTI (Right to Information) reply has thrown up allegations of mismanagement and misallocation of resources in the Gorakhuti project aimed to boost Assam’s rural dairy economy.
The RTI revealed that 90 cows were given to seven ‘public representatives’ who were supposed to distribute them to local farmers. One of the recipients, BJP state chief Dilip Saikia, allegedly neither paid the full amount nor provided documentation for the return of the cows to the farmers he claimed were ‘bought.’
As part of the Gorakhuti project, only 210 of 300 Gir cows arrived in the state, with many returned or dead. It is alleged that the cows were distributed without clear criteria, favouring connected individuals.
The Gorukhuti Bahumukhi Krishi Prakalpa (GBKP) was initially established to boost rural economies, but the project has been marred by issues surrounding the procurement and distribution of cows, central to its dairy farming initiative.
In 2021, the project commenced with the procurement of Gir cows, intended to drive the transformation of Assam’s dairy sector. Nearly Rs 17 crore in public funds were dedicated to the project to start with, media reports said on Wednesday.
However, conflicting government statements and opaque procurement records soon followed, India Today NE reported, citing RTI queries. According to disclosed records, 300 Gir cows were to be delivered by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 2022.
Instead, discrepancies arose when only 210 cows were reported to have arrived, of which 154 were returned due to poor quality, and 56 died. This discrepancy raised significant concerns about the transparency of the process.
The remaining 90 cows, which couldn’t be housed in the facility due to a lack of infrastructure, never reached the farmers. According to an RTI reply by Garukhuti Bahumukhi Krishi Prakalpa Samiti nodal veterinary officer Dr Jugabrata Nath, 90 cows were given to seven “public representatives”, who were asked to distribute the cows to local farmers.
Meanwhile, the management of the project shifted from government departments to a special society headed by MLA Padma Hazarika, with involvement from key BJP figures. Under this new administration, the allocation of cows raised further questions. Cows were reportedly distributed to individuals with connections to the project’s leadership, without public advertisement or clear selection criteria. The lack of transparency in these allocations has been a major point of contention.
Among the recipients were BJP state president Dilip Saikia and MLAs, who collectively secured a significant number of cows. These transactions were found to be irregular, with Saikia allegedly neither paying the full amount nor providing documentation for the return of cows to the farmers he claimed were “bought.” This has led to further scrutiny of the project’s management and accountability.
Upon reviewing the payment records, India Today NE found that Saikia had paid Rs 1,00,000 for two pregnant cows, which were priced at Rs 1,32,000 as of March 17, 2023.
Reports indicate that the planned distribution to local farmers did not occur and explanations for this lapse remain absent. This oversight prompted calls for a third-party audit to assess the situation, as public trust continues to erode.
Further complicating the situation, JMB Aqua Agro, owned by the wife of Assam Cabinet Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, received a substantial government subsidy alongside cows. Critics argue this favoured distribution deprived genuine farmers of support. Malla Baruah defended the allocation, stating the subsidy was available to all eligible applicants, but the optics of the situation have not been favourable.
