Assam

Ex-Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah will join BJP on Feb 22: Himanta

In a major jolt to the opposition Congress in Assam ahead of the assembly polls, its former state president Bhupen Borah will join the BJP on February 22, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday after meeting him. Sarma visited Borah's residence in the Ghoramara area of Guwahati, a day after the senior leader resigned from the Congress. The CM was welcomed by Borah's wife and son with 'aarti'. After the over one and a half hours long meeting, Sarma announced that Borah will join the BJP along with his supporters, and state BJP president Dilip Saikia will finalise the modalities. "Borah, along with some of his supporters, will join the BJP in Guwahati, but there will be another joining programme at Lakhimpur from where he hails, as many Congress members have expressed their desire to follow his steps," Sarma said, with the veteran leader by his side. The CM claimed that Borah's joining the BJP would show that Congress is not a place for Hindus. "He is the last recognise

Assam FM Ajanta Neog presents ₹62,295 crore interim budget for FY27

Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog on Tuesday presented a Rs 62,294.78 crore interim budget for the financial year 2026-27, ahead of the assembly elections due in a couple of months. Tabling her last budget before the state goes into polls, Neog said Assam is, at present, the fastest-growing state in India as per the RBI data. "I seek a vote on account on the demands for grants for the initial months of the financial year 2026-27, amounting to Rs 62,29,478.30 lakh to enable the government to carry on with its normal services pending full budget," she said. In her 33-page budget speech, Neog said Assam is poised to become a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2028, ahead of the state's own 2030 target for the same. "At constant prices, the state's Gross State Domestic Product expanded by 45 per cent between FY 2019-20 and FY 2024-25, significantly outperforming the national growth average of 29 per cent," she added. The finance minister said Assam's per capita income has more than doubled

MEA, EU hold state engagement program with Assam government on migration

The CDMM project is being implemented by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO)

Doors of BJP open for Bhupen Borah after exit from Congress: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the doors of the BJP were open for Bhupen Borah, hours after the former state Congress chief resigned from the party. Sarma also said that if Borah joins the BJP, he would try to get him elected from a "safe seat". Borah sent his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge earlier in the day, dealing a blow to the party ahead of the Assam assembly polls. In the letter, he claimed that he was being "ignored" by the party leadership and not being accorded his due in the state unit. Borah was the president of the Assam Congress unit from 2021 to 2025, and was replaced by Gaurav Gogoi last year. He has been a two-time legislator in Assam. Sarma said Borah was the "last Hindu leader" in the Congress without a family background father or mother not occupying a ministerial post or being an MLA. ''His resignation carries the symbolic message that in the Congress, no one from a normal family can prosper. Congress doe

SC refuses to entertain pleas against Assam CM over viral 'shooting' video

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain petitions seeking action against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a viral video purportedly showing him taking aim and firing with a rifle at members of a particular community. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi asked the petitioners to approach the Gauhati High Court with their grievances. The top court also asked the chief justice of the Gauhati High Court to expedite the hearing in the matter. "Why haven't you gone to the Gauhati High Court? Don't undermine its authority Will ask parties to use restraint and remain within the boundaries of constitutional morality, but this is becoming a trend just before the polls. "This is a disturbing trend that every matter ends up here. We have already deprived high courts of environmental and commercial litigations," the bench observed. During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi submitted that Sarma is a habitual and .

Cabinet clears ₹18,662 cr for Brahmaputra road-rail tunnel in Assam

The Union Cabinet has approved a Rs 18,662-crore project to construct a four-lane access-controlled greenfield corridor between Gohpur and Numaligarh, featuring India's first road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra river in Assam. Currently, the connectivity between Numaligarh on NH715 and Gohpur on NH-15 is 240 km -- from the existing Kaliabhambhora road bridge near Silghat on NH-52, which takes 6 Hours passing through Numaligarh, Kaziranga National Park, and Biswanath Town, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) said in a statement on Saturday. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction of a four-lane, access-controlled greenfield road connecting Gohpur on NH-15 to Numaligarh on the 715 section, including a 15.79 km road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra River, to be developed at a total cost of Rs 18,662 crore in Assam, it added. The project will be developed on an engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) model, MoRTH said. This

Congress neglected Northeast, endangered security: PM Modi in Assam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched an all-out attack on the Congress, accusing it of neglecting the Northeast and promoting insurgency in Assam during its rule. Addressing BJP workers at a rally here, Modi alleged that the Congress always endangered the nation's security, with fear and insecurity prevailing during its tenure in Assam. ''The Congress indulged in polarisation and vote bank politics, and took decisions that promoted these,'' he said. "The partition of the country took place due to the Muslim League, but now there is 'MMC' Maoist, Muslim, Congress and people should be aware,'' Modi said. The PM accused the Congress of protecting infiltrators, but the BJP is "committed to end illegal immigration, and so the next five years are very important for the state''. He also claimed that the Congress, being out of power in Assam for 10 years, is "more dangerous than when it was in power, and this is evident from the venomous statements made by its leaders". Fo

PM inaugurates bridge on Brahmaputra; unveils IIM, data centre in Assam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated several projects in Assam, including a bridge on the Brahmaputra River, an IIM and a data centre for the northeastern region. The projects, which were rolled out months ahead of Assam assembly elections, aim to boost connectivity, strengthen digital infrastructure, promote higher education and enhance public transport. Modi reached the state on a day-long visit to inaugurate an emergency landing facility (ELF) at Moran in Dibrugarh district and launch projects worth over Rs 5,500 crore. The first project the prime minister inaugurated in the state capital was a six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra River. He launched the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore. The six-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete (PSC) bridge will connect Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in the Northeast. After the inauguration, Modi took a walk on the bridge. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Achar

PM Modi to inaugurate bridge over Brahmaputra, NE data centre in Assam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday unveil a range of projects in Assam, including a bridge over the Brahmaputra River and a data centre for the northeastern region. Modi reached the state on a day-long visit to inaugurate an emergency landing facility (ELF) at Moran and launch projects worth over Rs 5,500 crore. The projects aim to boost connectivity, strengthen digital infrastructure, promote higher education and enhance public transport, officials said. The PM will inaugurate Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu across the Brahmaputra in Guwahati, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore. The six-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete (PSC) bridge will connect Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in the Northeast. It will cut travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to just seven minutes. Presently, only the Saraighat Bridge in Jalukbari area connects the two banks of the Brahmaputra in the capital region, with the travel time taking around 30 ...

PM makes historic landing at Northeast's first ELF, witnesses IAF airshow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a historic landing at the first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) of the northeast aboard the C-130J aircraft in Assam's Dibrugarh district. Modi took off from the Chabua airfield after his arrival, and landed at the ELF in Moran on a stretch of National Highway-37. The Rs 100-crore ELF, a 4.2-km reinforced stretch on the Moran Bypass, which was inaugurated by the PM, will act as a strategic and multi-functional runway for IAF fighter jets and transport aircraft, strengthening defence, logistics and disaster response, officials said. The facility is designed for both civil and military use, serving as an alternative to the Dibrugarh airport in case of emergency, they said. The PM was received at the ELF by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and other ministers of the Assam cabinet. After landing on the runway, Modi drove to the venue nearby from where he witnessed an aerial

Assam completes electoral roll revision; 586K names added, 243K deleted

Assam's Chief Electoral Officer explained that, unlike the usual process, the recent exercise involved door-to-door verification to proactively identify eligible voters and collect necessary forms

SC agrees to list fresh plea against Assam CM over alleged hate speeches

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to consider listing another plea filed by four people seeking a direction against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a series of alleged hate speeches targeting Muslims in the state. On Tuesday, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant had agreed to list for hearing a separate plea of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and CPI leader Annie Raja seeking action against the chief minister over a viral video allegedly showing him taking aim and firing with a rifle at members of the Muslim community. On Wednesday, the bench was urged to list the fresh plea along with the one filed by Left leaders. "We will see," the CJI said. The fresh petition was filed by former professor Hiren Gohain, former DGP of Assam Harekrishna Deka, senior journalist Paresh Chandra Malakar and senior advocate Santanu Borthakur. The plea alleged that the chief minister has repeatedly made statements that incite discrimination, social and economic boycott and ..

Dear Narendrabhai, can you again restore strategic stability to our east?

By next weekend, Bangladesh will have an elected government. This is India's moment to reboot broken ties by moderating the 'ghuspethiya' rhetoric in poll-bound West Bengal and Assam

NDA to contest all 126 Assam assembly seats, seat-sharing talks on

Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia on Thursday said the ruling NDA will contest all 126 constituencies in the assembly elections, but the seat-sharing understanding with its allies has not been finalised yet. During an interaction with journalists, Saikia said the party will be in the fray, riding on the plank of making a "safe, developed and self-reliant" Assam. "The NDA will contest all the 126 seats, it is confirmed from us. However, our seat-sharing agreement is not complete as of now," he said. Saikia said the NDA alliance is not for "show-off" and all parties in it are serious about the state's development. "I have personally spoken to AGP president Atul Bora, minister Keshab Mahanta and MPs Birendra Prasad Baishya and Phani Bhusan Choudhury regarding the seat arrangements," he said. Saikia accepted that there are some issues regarding a few seats, and both parties are in talks to hammer out a solution. "After delimitation, some seats were abolished, and a few were changed. T

Sun Pharma to invest ₹500 crore in Assam to set up manufacturing unit

Leading drug maker Sun Pharmaceutical will invest Rs 500 crore to set up a manufacturing plant in Assam, generating direct employment for over 500 people, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said. Senior officials of the pharma company held a meeting with the chief secretary on Wednesday and discussed various aspects of implementing the project. "Held a meeting with representatives of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited... to review the company's proposal for setting up pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Assam," Kota said in an X post on Wednesday night. From the company, senior vice president Rahul Awasthi and associate vice president Ranjit Mohapatra met Kota. "The proposal involves establishing drug formulation manufacturing units in the state to cater to the Indian market, with a planned investment of over Rs 500 crore to be implemented in two phases," the chief secretary said. The project is expected to generate direct employment for more than 500 people in a phased manner af

Why underground rail link at 'Chicken's Neck' is strategic for Northeast

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has welcomed plans to build underground railway tracks along the strategic Siliguri Corridor to strengthen connectivity with the Northeast

Amit Shah unveils development projects worth ₹1,715 crore in Assam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched projects worth Rs 1,715 crore, including the second legislative assembly complex, in Assam's Dibrugarh. Shah unveiled the projects in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, MPs and MLAs of the upper Assam constituencies, several state cabinet ministers and senior government officials. He laid the foundation stone for the Rs 284 crore second legislative assembly complex and MLA hostel as a part of the government's efforts to establish Dibrugarh as the second administrative hub. The project will include a three-storey assembly building, a nine-storey hostel for MLAs, an 800-seat capacity auditorium and a barrack for security personnel. Shah inaugurated the first phase of the modern multi-disciplinary sports complex worth Rs 238 crore and laid the foundation stone for its second phase, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 209 crore. The first phase of the project includes

Assam CM urges voters to choose development over vote-bank politics

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that the time has come for people to think and make a choice whether they want 'vote bank politics' or take forward the development journey launched by his government during the last five years. The state will go to the polls in the next few months, and people must decide whether they want to ''surrender to Bangladeshi Muslims'' or be part of progress and development, the chief minister said in his address after unfurling the national flag at the Republic Day function here. He said that earlier, Republic and Independence Days in the state were marked by violence and insurgency, but now ''we are among the fastest growing states in the country''. ''We have decided not to surrender to the Bangladeshi Muslims who have encroached upon huge areas of land and threatened our identity, culture and traditions. We have started the process of reclaiming our land by evicting the encroachers,'' he said. Sarma said that his government was ..

Zubeen Garg's family seeks special court, fast-track trial in letter to PM

The family concluded the letter by placing their trust in the Prime Minister's office to ensure that the case is pursued with seriousness, urgency, and transparency

Assam secures ₹1 trillion investment commitments in first year at WEF

Attending the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting here for the first time in its history, Assam has secured investment commitments worth Rs 1 lakh crore already, and it is only a base for the state in the global arena, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday. Speaking to PTI here, Sarma said Assam, or for that matter any state from the northeastern region, has come to Davos for the first time, and it has been an enlightening experience, and it will help us in framing policy and bringing more investment to our state. Citing RBI data, he said Assam is now the fastest-growing state in the country, and in the last five years, we have consistently achieved 13 per cent plus growth, while next year our growth projection will be around 15 per cent. "We are a small economy, but now we are growing at a faster pace. The Prime Minister is championing the cause of Assam, championing the cause of the northeastern region," he said. Sarma said the Prime Minister has laid the foundatio