Assam: Golaghat’s exclusion from ‘Gajmitra Scheme’ sparks outrage

A CORRESPONDENT

NUMALIGARH: A controversy has erupted after Golaghat, a district severely affected by human-elephant conflict, was excluded from the newly-announced ‘Gajmitra Scheme.’ The scheme, introduced during the Assam Budget Session (2025-26), aims to mitigate human-elephant conflicts, but Golaghat’s omission has led to sharp criticism and public outrage.

Districts such as Goalpara, Udalguri, Nagaon, Baksa, and Sonitpur were included in the scheme, but Golaghat’s exclusion has raised questions about the government’s priorities. The district’s rural population has long suffered from human-elephant conflicts, with frequent protests demanding permanent solutions and adequate compensation for affected farmers.

Pintu Gogoi, Central Assistant General Secretary of the Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS), condemned the exclusion, calling it ‘shameful and unacceptable.’ He accused Finance Minister Ajanta Neog of being unaware of the critical issues in her own district, exposing what he termed her ‘insensitive politics.’

Official statistics reveal that 33 people and 35 elephants have died in human-elephant conflicts over the past four years. Areas such as Marangi, Khumtai, Numaligarh, and Tengani are witnessing an alarming rise in such incidents, with over 10,000 bighas of farmland in Marangi turning barren due to elephant raids.

The SMSS has warned of widespread protests against the BJP-led Assam Government and Finance Minister Ajanta Neog if Golaghat is not included in the scheme through budgetary amendments. As tensions escalate, the exclusion of Golaghat is expected to become a major political issue in the coming days.

The press conference was attended by Bijumoni Das (Cultural Secretary of SMSS Golaghat District Committee), Tapan Das (President of SMSS Marangi Regional Committee), Pranabjyoti Bora (Secretary), and other key office bearers.

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