On Independence Day, the Chief Minister outlined a broad development vision centred on infrastructure, economic empowerment, youth opportunities, social reform and a flood-resilient Assam
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on August 15 unveiled an ambitious five-year roadmap for the state, announcing Rs 1.50 lakh crore in infrastructure investment while outlining measures aimed at making Assam more resilient, self-reliant and opportunity driven.
Addressing the 80th Independence Day celebrations in Guwahati, the Chief Minister said Rs 50,000 crore would come from the state’s own resources and Rs 1 lakh crore would be mobilised from the Centre between 2026 and 2031. The investment will cover roads, schools, urbanisation, rural development and other major infrastructure projects.
Under Asom Mala 4.0, 6,000 km of roads will be improved, while the government will pursue major connectivity projects and strengthen links with neighbouring states. Sarma said Assam’s economy had nearly tripled in less than a decade and was moving beyond its traditional tea and natural-resource base towards advanced industries, including semiconductor manufacturing.
The Chief Minister also announced eight new co-districts, Kamalpur, Barhampur, Ranganadi, Sissibargaon, Chabua-Lahowal, Khumtai, Katigorah and Barkhola and proposed a new Department of Youth Empowerment and Development bringing together NCC, NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra, skill development and financial assistance programmes.
For Assam’s tea garden communities, the Chief Minister announced plans to provide legal ownership rights to 3.5 lakh tea garden families over the next five years. He also announced the Chief Minister’s Agriculture Excellence Award for 1,000 progressive farmers this year, with Rs 1 lakh each, and plans to recognise 10,000 farmers over five years.
On floods, the Chief Minister said the government was preparing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan, including digital damage assessment, assistance for damaged homes, livestock, poultry, tube wells, looms and textiles, and a loan repayment moratorium. He stressed the need for stronger infrastructure, early-warning systems, technology and resilient livelihoods.
The Chief Minister also announced a new crackdown on child marriage from November 1 and proposed a measure under which 20 per cent of the salary of a government employee who abandons his first wife without legal divorce and enters another informal marriage would be deposited into the first wife’s account. Similar protection is proposed for women abandoned by private-sector employees.
Highlighting Assam’s youth and sporting potential, the Chief Minister said the achievements of Lovlina Borgohain and Asmita Chaliha showed that the state’s young people could succeed globally when given opportunities. He also said Khel Maharan would be transformed into a broader platform for sports development and Assam would emerge as a centre of the creative digital economy.
The Chief Minister announced that Assam would commemorate 800 years of Swargadeo Chaolung Sukapha’s arrival in 2028, celebrating his legacy of integration and coexistence.
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