Akhil Gogoi Terms New Kaziranga Orchid Park a Political Ploy

Raijor Dal President and Sivasagar MLA, Akhil Gogoi has accused the Assam government of attempting to dilute the identity and influence of the long-standing Kaziranga National Orchid and Biodiversity Park by establishing a new state-run facility in close proximity under a nearly identical name.

The controversy comes ahead of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurating the newly built Kaziranga Orchid Park at Kohora. Constructed on the banks of the Kohora river at an estimated cost of around Rs 16 crore, the project is being positioned as a fresh addition to the region’s tourism infrastructure.

However, Gogoi has alleged that the decision to locate the government-funded orchid park just a few kilometres from the cooperative-run biodiversity centre is a calculated move. The existing park, managed for over a decade by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) under a cooperative framework, has evolved into a prominent attraction in the Kaziranga landscape.

According to Gogoi, the cooperative park represents more than horticultural display. He described it as a grassroots success story built without state backing, at a time when successive governments failed to conceptualise or execute such a large-scale orchid and biodiversity initiative. “When no elected government showed the foresight after Independence, a people’s organisation stepped forward and created a centre of international recognition,” he said.

He credited the park with conserving rare orchid varieties, promoting indigenous traditions, and showcasing Assamese cultural heritage to visitors from across India and abroad. Over the years, he added, the venture has also generated substantial revenue and strengthened the state’s tourism economy.

Gogoi questioned the rationale behind setting up a similar facility barely three to four kilometres away instead of identifying a new district for expansion. He termed the move “petty and vindictive politics,” alleging that the government’s intent is to weaken a community-driven institution rather than support it.

The Raijor Dal leader further claimed that ideological differences in the past had already put the cooperative park under pressure, and the new project, he argued, is a continuation of attempts to marginalise a people-led initiative.

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