Congress accuses Assam CM family of grabbing land meant for landless, demands probe

Addressing the media, Congress general secretary Jitendra Singh said, "While Himanta Biswa Sarma was a minister in the state government between 2006 to 2009, 18 acres of surplus land which was marked to be allotted to landless people were acquired by a company co-founded by Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Rinki Bhuyan Sarma,"

New Delhi:The Congress party on Sunday accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his family of "grabbing" 18 acres of land meant for the landless, and demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe by a special investigative team and also demanded his immediate dismissal.

Addressing the media, Congress general secretary Jitendra Singh said, "While Himanta Biswa Sarma was a minister in the state government between 2006 to 2009, 18 acres of surplus land which was marked to be allotted to landless people were acquired by a company co-founded by Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Rinki Bhuyan Sarma,"

The company named RBS Realtors Private Limited acquired as many as seven plots in two stages, first between 2006-2007 and then in 2009. As per rules in Assam, ceiling surplus lands are allotted to landless and needy people and the allottee is prohibited to sell or transfer the land for 10 years. But according to allegations, this 10-year lock-in period was violated when RBS realtors purchased those plots.

A total of seven plots in North Guwahati worth more than Rs 100 crores were allegedly allocated to RBS Realtors between 2008 and 2009. The transfers were done within a few months of allotment.

After acquiring these plots, RBS Realtors applied for a name change and re-incorporated itself as Vashistha Realtors Private Limited. By then, Himta Biswa Sarma's wife Rinki Bhuyan Sarma had resigned from the position of the company's director.

In 2017, 23.61 per cent share of Vashishtha Realtors were then transferred to Meena Bhuyan, mother of Rinki Bhuyan Sarma.

In September 2019, Meena Bhuyan transferred her shares to Nandil Biswa Sarma, son of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The Congress party has demanded a probe by Special Investigation Team to be constituted under the supervision of a sitting supreme court judge and the investigation to be carried out in a time-bound manner.

The Congress leaders also demanded that Himanta Biswa Sarma should be dismissed from his post and all unlawful land transfers of the said company be immediately cancelled.