Amit Shah lays foundation stone of medical college, law colleges in Assam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah

on Saturday laid foundation stone of a medical college and nine law institutes, besides launching two other projects in Assam during his visit to the state.

All the four projects were launched centrally from the Kumar Bhaskar Barman Kshetra at Amingaon here in presence of Assam Chief Minister Sarabananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Food Processing Rameshwar Teli, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and others.

The Union home minister laid the foundation stone of Guwahati's second medical college and hospital which will be set up by amalgamating the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital and the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Chest Hospital at an estimated amount of Rs 755 crore, officials said.

Shah also laid the foundation stone of nine law colleges to be set up at Diphu, Silchar, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, North Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Nalbari, Rangia and Raha.

He launched the development and beautification project of Batadrava 'Than' at Borduwa in Nagaon district, the birthplace of 15th century Vaishnav reformer-saint Srimanta Sankardeva, at an estimated cost of Rs 188 crore.

The 'Than' or Vaishnav monastery will be developed as a centre of art, culture, research and spirituality, officials said.

Shah also launched the third phase of the "Asom Darshan" scheme to protect places of worship of different faiths. In this phase, 8,000 'Naamghars' (Vaishnav prayer and community halls) which are over 50 years old will be given Rs 2.5 lakh each, they said.

Shah arrived here on Friday night at Lokopriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport and was welcomed by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his cabinet colleagues, BJP state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, the saffron party's Assam in-charge Baijayant Jay Panda and others.

More than 3,000 artistes belonging to different communities welcomed him with traditional dances while the entire way from the airport to the PWD Inspection Bungalow at Amingaon, where he is staying, was illuminated with more than 10,000 earthen lamps.