Kalita on cleanse-Khadi Board job; 4 suspended

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 4: Fincial scandals involving crores of rupees taking place in the State during the 15-year-long Congress rule in the State keep coming to the fore. And now four officers of the Assam Khadi and Gramodyog Board, Chandmari have been suspended for their alleged involvement in such a scam.

The scam came to the fore after former minister Dr. Kamala Kanta Kalita taking charge as the chairman of the board. Smelling a rat, Dr. Kalita conducted an inquiry and found the involvement of the four officers in the scams that had taken place in the store and exhibition branches of the board during the Congress regime. The inquiry has exposed that funds were misappropriated by the four officials.

Talking to The Sentinel, Dr. Kalita said: “During the Congress regime, the board was about to lease out 25 bighas of its land at Hengrabari in the city to other parties. Even APDCL also sought the land from the Board. However, with the change in government at the Centre and in the State, we’re contemplating on setting up a Khadi Plaza on the land in line with Dilli Haat. Since the Centre has taken up steps to promote Khadi and Gramodyog, we’re contemplating on taking such a venture. We need to modernize various outlets of the Board in sync with modern demands. There’re also outlets that are non-viable. We’ve no way out but to amalgamate them with other outlets.”

Dr. Kalita further said: “The Board has vast areas of land at various places in the State, including Matia, Dhomdhoma etc. However, vast areas of the land are under illegal encroachment as the Board did look the other way over the years. Now we’ve to consult the district revenue departments to free the land. The Board’s training centre located at Raha is pathetic. Efforts are on to revive it.”