Self-reliant Assam? Government's chicken farm in Birubari non-functional since 2016

By Devabrata Dutta 

GUWAHATI: Questioning the image of a 'self-reliant Assam', Assam Jatiya Parishad General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan questioned the Assam government on a non-functional chicken farm in the Birubari area of Guwahati.

Bhuyan on Friday took to his Twitter account and posted about a chicken farm situated in Birubari, which has been non-functional since 2016, yet has 12 staff members.

"I wanted to know, who is being treated in that farm in the last five years when there is not a single chicken there," asked Bhuyan to Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora on Twitter.

Following Jagadish Bhuyan's allegation, InsideNE reached the spot today and conducted a ground zero assessment.

What InsideNE found is that the huge farm, built with many crores of the government scheme money for commercial purpose, is almost empty.

Still, there are 12 staffs including 3 doctors as Bhuyan claimed. There have been no significant commercial transactions or revenue earned in past few years.

Speaking with InsideNE over the phone, Jagadish Bhuyan said, "The Assam government talks about the development of Assam. But for that our rural economy needs to be strong as well. They have to create their own sources of revenue too."

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Bhuyan added, "Commercial activities in the Birubari farm have been derailed since 2016. There is not a single broiler chicken to even think of starting commercial activities. Yet 12 staff members including 3 doctors have been working there. Whom are they treating?"

However, our team has spotted a few hundred chickens on that farm.

Bhuyan informed, "The government has started a demonstration and training scheme there recently. For that purpose only they have kept around 200-300 hundreds of chicks there. Those are not for commercial purposes. But what is the use of it? The farm itself was opened for commercial purpose."

It has indeed come out as a shock, when the government talks about becoming self-reliant, creating lakhs new of job opportunities for youth. On the other hand, their existing infrastructures are in turmoil.

Concerned ministries of Assam government yet to react on the issue.

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