The Opposition Congress in Assam on Monday intensified its protest against alleged irregularities in two government-sponsored schemes for dairy and allied sector development, demanding a high-level probe into the allegations.

The protests, organised by the Assam PCC Kishan Congress, were staged across the state and saw party workers taking to the streets with cows, highlighting alleged anomalies in a dairy subsidy scheme and the supply of Gir cows by the NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) to the multi-purpose Garukhuti project in Darrang district.

Congress members waved black flags during Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s visit to Golaghat, while the Youth Congress in Goalpara lodged a police complaint against cabinet minister Jayanta Malla Baruah. The complaint pertained to the purchase of 20 Gir cows by a company linked to Baruah’s wife and her farm’s availing of a government subsidy.

State PCC Kishan Congress chairman Hari Prasad Saikia told The Telegraph, “We protested in Guwahati, Golaghat, and Baksa on Sunday, and across the state on Monday against the irregularities in the dairy subsidy scheme and the Gir cow distribution in the Garukhuti project.”

He alleged a conflict of interest and questioned the absence of an inquiry. “If the CM could form an SIT to probe our president Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged link with Pakistan, why hasn’t he ordered a probe here? How did a minister’s wife get subsidy benefits that others were unaware of? Why were 90 Gir cows distributed to BJP MLAs or their affiliates? What was the selection process?”

According to an RTI response, the NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) had supplied 300 Gir cows to the Garukhuti Bahumukhi Krishi Prakalpa, but only 210 reached the project site. The remaining 90 were distributed by public representatives due to lack of infrastructure. Of the 210, 56 cows died and 154 were returned, leaving the project without any Gir cows.

On June 28, PCC president Gaurav Gogoi wrote to the Prime Minister seeking a probe into alleged favouritism in beneficiary selection.

While Gogoi did not name anyone, Congress workers have flagged Baruah’s name, pointing to his wife’s dairy farm being a beneficiary and his admission of purchasing 20 cows.

Assam Jatiya Parishad leaders Lurinjyoti Gogoi and Jagadish Bhuyan also demanded an independent inquiry. Bhuyan questioned procurement procedures and the conflicting explanations given by the CM and the project chairman.