Costly appliances vanish from former Speaker, Deputy Speaker's bungalows

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, June 6: In what is bound to cause embarrassment to State lawmakers, costly appliances like TVs, air conditioners and refrigerators have gone “missing” from the official quarters of former Speaker Prab Kumar Gogoi and former deputy speaker Bhimanda Tanti.

Former Speaker Prab Kumar Gogoi was allotted a posh bungalow in the assembly premises which had as many as 22 ACs and six large screen TVs. It also had two big refrigerators.

After vacating the bungalow following election of the new Speaker of the 14th Assam assembly, Gogoi, who had won in the assembly election retaining the Sivasagar seat, shifted to a quarter in the MLA hostel.

Official sources said that when the staff of the assembly secretariat took possession of the bungalow after it was vacated by Gogoi, they found that three ACs, one fridge and a TV were missing.

Former deputy speaker Bhimanda Tanti was also allotted a bungalow. He vacated it after losing the assembly election.

Sources said that two ACs were missing from Tanti’s bungalow. Assam Assembly principal secretary Mrigendra Kumar Deka admitted that the said appliances have gone missing from the bungalows.

“We have learnt that three ACs, a fridge and a TV set which went missing when the former Speaker vacated the bungalow were shifted to the new quarter of the MLA hostel which was alloted to him (Prab Kumar Gogoi). We don’t know about the whereabouts of two ACs missing from the bungalow allotted to the former deputy Speaker,” Deka said.