Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi has urged the Assam government to complete the boundary wall at Zubeen Kshetra before September 19 and invite public opinion on how the site should be developed.
Speaking about the project, Gogoi said nearly a year had passed since Zubeen Garg’s death, but the boundary wall at the site had not been completed. He also alleged that the wall was being constructed in a manner aimed at protecting land and property linked to minister Ashok Singhal and nearby businesspeople.
Gogoi said there had been an opportunity to expand Zubeen Kshetra with 30 to 40 bighas of land and develop it into a prominent site in Assam. He claimed the government had begun work on the boundary wall only after public pressure and strong protests, but said the required land had not been provided and the timeline for completing the wall was unclear.
He further said no substantial work had been carried out inside the site and claimed that rainwater still accumulates there, leaving the area muddy during cloudy and rainy conditions. Gogoi asked the government to finish, repair and paint the wall before September 19.
Calling for transparency, Gogoi said the government should place its proposed plan for Zubeen Kshetra before the people of Assam and seek their views. He said people wanted the site to be developed differently and that it was unclear what the government intended to build or how much land it planned to use.
Gogoi described Zubeen Garg as a socially conscious artist who identified himself as a socialist, and said decisions on the memorial site should be taken on the basis of public opinion. He also alleged that the government did not appreciate Garg’s ideals and clarity, and claimed it had links with those responsible for Garg’s killing.
