Guwahati: The Indigenous People’s Party (IPP) has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the utilisation of development funds by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), following BJP MP Amarsing Tisso’s reported claims about the wealth of council Chief Executive Member (CEM) Tuliram Ronghang.

Tisso, the BJP MP from Diphu and a KAAC Executive Member in charge of Agriculture, Land and Revenue, reportedly claimed at a public meeting attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that Ronghang possessed movable assets worth at least Rs 500 crore and immovable properties valued at Rs 6,000 crore.

In a statement on Sunday, IPP president Rajen Timung questioned the source of Ronghang’s alleged wealth and accused the council leadership of diverting development funds meant for the people of Karbi Anglong.

“Under the leadership of CEM Tuliram Ronghang, common tribal people of Karbi Anglong have been reduced to the condition of beggars. Development funds of KAAC, which should have been used for roads, water, education, and for giving contracts and jobs to tribal youth, are allegedly not reaching the people,” Timung said.

“Today, Karbi mothers and sisters are forced to stand in queues near the CEM’s residence and programmes to receive Rs. 500-1000,” he alleged.

Referring to Tisso’s reported statement on Ronghang’s wealth, Timung questioned the source of the alleged cash holdings.

“As per a public statement reportedly made by MP Amarsing Tisso, CEM Ronghang is said to possess cash of more than Rs. 500 Crore, which enables daily cash distribution to 1500-2000 women without his funds depleting,” he alleged.

“The people of Karbi Anglong ask: What is the source of this money,” he questioned.

Calling for an independent investigation, Timung said, “To establish the truth and to protect tribal people’s rights, we demand an impartial inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the utilization of KAAC development funds.”

Ronghang has faced repeated allegations of financial irregularities and diversion of public funds, primarily from opposition parties and local organisations. He has denied wrongdoing.

In September 2023, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia alleged “rampant corruption and siphoning of public funds through nepotism” in the KAAC under Ronghang’s leadership. He claimed that a Rs 100-crore special grant under the Chief Minister’s Road Improvement Package had been divided between two firms allegedly linked to Ronghang’s family.

According to Saikia, Kache Construction (OPC) Pvt Ltd, owned by Ronghang’s spouse, received Rs 60 crore, while Inglong Enterprise, owned by his younger brother Robiram Ronghang, was awarded Rs 40 crore.

Saikia also alleged that some road projects had received overlapping funding under different grants. He cited repeated sanctions for the Diphu Civil Hospital Road–Lorulangso stretch as evidence of possible misappropriation.

The Karbi Students’ Union for Protection of Autonomy (KSUPA) had also lodged an FIR with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), alleging the misappropriation of Rs 4.50 crore allocated under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) in 2014-15.

The organisation had earlier filed a case alleging the swindling of Rs 546.93 crore allocated for irrigation schemes through the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources.

In 2016, the Nikhil Garik Suraksha Mancha alleged that irrigation projects under the KAAC had been declared complete through utilisation and completion certificates despite the work remaining unfinished. It sought a CBI inquiry into Ronghang’s assets and the alleged irrigation irregularities.

In 2023, Congress leader Manjit Mahanta alleged that a firm linked to Ronghang’s son had completed a 17-km road extension in seven days and withdrawn Rs 30 crore. Ronghang reportedly denied irregularities in the project.

The BJP has described the opposition’s allegations as “entirely false and fabricated”. Its East Karbi Anglong unit maintained that the roads in question had been constructed, citing a High Court observation and an inspection by the Assam Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee.