Over 180 venues in Assam named after late Bhupen Hazarika

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday inaugurated 187 open stages and parks named after the state's musical icon late Bhupen Hazarika on the occasion of the balladeer's 89th birth anniversary.

The open stages and parks are in 187 development blocks across the state, where people can stage cultural shows and other programmes free of cost round the year.

Gogoi inaugurated the stages and parks at a function organised at Bandapara under Boko development block in Kamrup district.

"Bhupen Hazarika through his songs and lyrics not only touched the heart of every Assamese but gave an identity to Assam in the world platform," the chief minister said.

"Our government had last year decided to implement a scheme to construct open stages and parks on the name of Bhupen Hazarika in each of the 219 development blocks of the state. While construction of open stages and parks is complete in 198 blocks, it is underway in the rest 21 blocks," he said.

The inauguration had to be deferred in 11 development blocks due to the current flood situation.

The Assam government has decided to spend Rs.21.9 crore on the project announced last year. The expenditure for each of the venue has been estimated at Rs.25 lakh.

Born in Sadiya in 1926, Hazarika was a lyricist, musician, singer, poet and filmmaker.

His songs, written and sung mainly in Assamese by himself, have subjects related to humanity and universal brotherhood. They have been translated and sung in many languages, including Bengali and Hindi and are immensely popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, Hazarika died in Mumbai on November 5, 2011.