SUALKUCHI, Oct 30 - The people here have expressed serious concern over the callousness of the authority for not opening the Gandhi Ashram to the public even three years after its inauguration in October 2017. The long-pending plea of the people of the silk village to preserve the site that Mahatma Gandhi visited at Sualkuchi on January 9, 1946 was fulfilled with the construction of the Gandhi Ashram on the bank of the Brahmaputra. However, the Ashram campus is yet to be opened to the public and it currently lies in a neglected state.
The Gandhi Ashram, funded by the Untied Fund for year 2016-2017, comprised Assam-type houses, a big statue of Mahatma Gandhi with a spinning wheel, several viewing platforms, a children�s park with statues of Gandhi with children, etc. The Ashram was inaugurated by Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in October 2017. The Kamrup district administration had constituted a managing committee with Dinesh Baishya as president, the BDO Sualkuchi as member secretary and Dulumoni Das, former president, BJP Sualkuchi Mandal, Bhupen Kalita, Bhabesh Kalita, Pulak Patowary and Sanjib Sarma as members to look after the Ashram. The district administration also allocated Rs 1 lakh for proper upkeep of the Ashram in 2018. At present, only a watchman-cum-cleaner engaged by the committee in 2018 is looking after the Ashram.
The president of the committee blamed shortage of funds for the committee in not being able to properly manage the Ashram and added that the watchman has not been paid remuneration for the past several months.
