* CM lays foundation stones for 6 new projects in Bongaigaon
OUR CORRESPONDENT
BONGAIGAON: In fulfilling the State Government's commitment to bring about equal development of all districts across the State, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid foundation stone for six new projects under City Infrastructure Development Fund (CIDF) in Bongaigaon on Friday.
The projects that Sonowal laid the foundation stone for are development of Eco Park and its adjacent water bodies, a museum for the preservation and promotion of art and culture of Koch Rajbongshis, beautification of immersion ghat at Bongaigaon and construction of bus terminal and site development, construction of clock tower, among others.
Chief Minister Sonowal also distributed tractors and power tillers to the beneficiaries under the Chief Minister's Sammagra Grammya Unnayan Yojana. The Chief Minister also distributed kits under PM CARES to the persons who came back to the State during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. Sonowal also released a report of 'Project Milijuli', a comprehensive COVID-19 community management initiative of the district administration and unveiled a logo of 'Mission Sampoorna', a district administration initiative to make Bongaigaon free from malnutrition, at the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal, while reiterating the commitment of the BJP-led State Government for equal development of all areas of the State, said that the State Government under CIDF laid the foundation stone of six projects to enable Bongaigaon district to catch up with the development of other developed districts of the State. He also said that the previous government in the State took no special initiative for the empowerment of the far-flung areas of the State. However, the present State Government took special initiatives for the development of Bongaion as well as other 17 districts under CIDF.
The Chief Minister further said that under the present government, apart from infrastructural development of Bongaigaon, foundation stone for Bongaigaon Engineering College was laid. Besides, pragmatic steps were taken to increase the existing production capacity of Bongaigaon Refinery from 2.5 MMT to 5 MMT. Moreover, steps were taken for a 200 TPD formalin plant at Baitamari and Multi Model Logistics Hub at Jogighopa to enable the district to move equally along with the development initiatives of other front-ranking towns of the country.
Terming Bongaigaon as an ideal district where people belonging to different caste, creed, community and religious background have been living peacefully, Sonowal said that in future also Bongaigaon had to live accordingly to set an example of its harmonious coexistence.
Giving a snapshot of all the development initiatives that the BJP-led State Government has taken over the last four-and-half years, Sonowal said that in the educational front for the utilization of its verdant resources, the State Government had set up eight new medical colleges, nine new engineering colleges, 32 polytechnic institutes and a number of universities as well as AIIMS and IARI at Gogamukh. He also said that very soon the government would lay the foundation stone of Skill University at Mangaldai.
He also called upon the people as well as the journalist fraternity to keep a watch on the performance of the government and extend all cooperation so that the rate of development in the State could be expedited.
On the occasion, State Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Phani Bhusan Choudhury, and Minister of State for Urban Development Department with independent charge, Pijush Hazarika also delivered speeches. Chairman of Bongaigaon Zila Parishad, Bijay Singha, Mission Director of ASRLM, Partha Pratim Majumder, Deputy Commissioner Dr. MS Lakshmipriya, Superintendent of Police SK Sonowal, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.