Page 25 - Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam to give stipend to all female PG students of Rs 10,000 each

"This would be helpful in covering their commutation and other related expenses," Sarma said

Rahul looks like Saddam, says Assam CM; Congress terms him 'petty troll'

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi looks like "Saddam Hussein", the former Iraqi dictator, and it would have been better had he turned his appearance like Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru or Mahatma Gandhi. Hitting back, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said the Assm CM was sounding like a "petty troll". Gandhi has been seen sporting a beard during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress. During a public rally in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, Sarma said, "I just saw that his looks have also changed. I said in a TV interview a few days back that there is nothing wrong with his new look. But if you have to change the looks, at least make it like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel or even Jawaharlal Nehru will do. It is better if it looks like Gandhiji. But why is your face turning into Saddam Hussein?" This is because the Congress culture is not closer to Indian people. Their culture is closer to people who have never ..

Those who made no contribution should not question Savarkar: Assam CM

Lashing out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Veer Savarkar, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said those who have made no contribution to the country should not question freedom fighters

Rahul Gandhi committed 'sin' by attacking Veer Savarkar: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of committing a "sin" by attacking Veer Savarkar and said those who have made no contribution to the country should not question freedom fighters. "Savarkar spent many years in jail, those who are questioning him what they have done for the country. It is a sin to question Savarkar's contribution, Rahul Gandhi should not do this sin," Sarma said. Interacting with media here ahead of the 400th birth anniversary legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan, which will be celebrated at the national capital, he claimed that Mughals never conquered northeastern and southern India. "History needs to be rewritten because Left historians have distorted and made it appear Mughal emperors conquered entire India. They never conquered northeast India...Assam and south India," the chief minister said. He said it was a "Left conspiracy to project entire India was defeated by Mughals". Sarma said that he has ...

Assam CM urges youth to become part of country's 'start-up revolution'

Assam CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma during a day-long visit to Kokrajhar district attended the closing ceremony of the golden jubilee celebration of Gossaigaon College as the Chief Guest

Assam govt to raise minimum support price for rice: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Government has built a 5,000 metric-tonne-capacity cold-storage facility at Chaygaon and a fruit-processing centre at the food-processing park at Satabari under Kamrup district

Assam, Meghalaya to work jointly to transform Umiam lake: CM Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that Assam and Meghalaya will work with the Indian Army to transform the Umiam lake into a world-class venue for aquatic sports

Assam to have 24 medical colleges in next five years, says CM Sarma

He said the state government is working with a vision to set up one medical college in each district in Assam

Himanta says Assam govt considering withdrawing AFSPA from two more areas

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said his government is considering withdrawing AFSPA from two more locations in the state. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) was extended for six months from October 1 with the continuation of the 'Disturbed Area' tag for Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts along with Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar in the Barak valley. The government had withdrawn the controversial law from West Karbi Anglong district as the situation "considerably improved" there. The Armed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant besides giving immunity from arrest and prosecution to the security forces if they shoot someone dead. "Peace has returned to Assam and Northeast. Today, AFSPA is withdrawn from 65 per cent areas of the state. In the future, we are considering to withdraw it from ...

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma flags off new operations of Alliance Air

Alliance Air operations will lead to greater air connectivity in North East, particularly between the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur.

Assam's govt schools to get new infrastructure: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that all government schools in the state will soon get new infrastructure. More than 4,000 schools will be covered under the initiative, he said. Sarma, along with Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, the state government's education advisor Nani Gopal Mahanta and senior officials, visited several old government schools in Guwahati and inspected the existing facilities. "We are trying to convert educational institutes of our State into centres for human resources development," Sarma tweeted later. "All Govt schools will get new infrastructure. As a part of this, 10 schools in Guwahati will get new buildings in 1st phase, before 4,000 more schools are covered," he added. Among the schools, he visited was Kamrup Academy, where he had studied. "Visited Kamrup Academy, Guwahati, and reviewed its infrastructure. Established in 1930, I had the privilege of seeking education from this historical institute in my childhood. "The school bu

Touched at being called daughter of Assam, says President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu Friday said that she was touched at the gesture of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma calling her a daughter of the state' and made her feel at home. Murmu lauded the Assam government for its various developmental projects, specially for tea workers and for women empowerment. The Centre is also contributing its bit by boosting infrastructure, connectivity and all other sectors, she said after launching and laying foundation stones for various central and state government projects on the virtual mode at a programme here. "I must thank the chief minister for calling me a daughter of the state' at the civic reception last night. It has touched my heart. The welcome I have received here has made me feel at home and I will return soon, the President said on the concluding day of her two-day maiden trip to Assam after assuming office. The state government had hosted a civic reception in honour of Murmu on Thursday evening during which Chief Minister Himanta

Centre upgrades Assam CM's security to 'Z+' category on all India basis

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which is currently providing Sarma 'Z' category security, will now facilitate him with 'Z+' category security

BJP aims 12 of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam for 2024 polls: Himanta

The BJP has set a target of winning 12 out of 14 seats in Assam in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. Addressing a party workers' meet here, Sarma said the BJP will start working from now to make Narendra Modi India's prime minister for the third consecutive time. "Assam has 14 Lok Sabha seats and we won nine last time. This time, we will have to win at least 12 seats," he said in presence of BJP president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "We will not stop till the Lok Sabha polls. We want to see Narendra Modi as prime minister for the third time," he added. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, three seats were won by Congress, one by AIUDF and one was bagged by an Independent. Referring to the recent ban on Popular Front of India (PFI), he said that the government has resolved to permanently eliminate fundamental groups from the soil of Assam. He announced that an "ambitious scheme" worth Rs 5,000 crore will be rolled out ov

Rahul Gandhi not fit for politics, doesn't have seriousness: Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying he "does not have systematic seriousness" and "is not fit for politics"

Deliberated on development goals till 2026 at 'Chintan Shivir': Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said detailed discussions on development goals for the state till 2026 were held during the 'Chintan Shivir' for ministers and top government officials. During the three-day programme, they also deliberated on possible steps that would be taken up to meet the development targets in the next four years, he said. Talking to reporters at the end of the programme, Sarma said, "During the Chintan Shivir, we discussed on targets (of development) for 2026 and resource mobilisation to achieve the goals," he said. Notably, the BJP-led coalition government in the state will complete its tenure in the middle of 2026. Based on the deliberations here, action plans with time-bound implementation models will be prepared by various departments, he said. "Various departments made detailed presentations on their proposals in the programme. Action plans will be prepared soon and uploaded on the department websites so that time-bound implementation c

Night safari in fashion around the world: Himanta on Kaziranga row

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that night safari at wildlife sanctuaries was in fashion globally as he sought to dismiss the controversy over his jeep ride along with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev at the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) after dusk. Speaking to reporters at the end of the three-day 'Chintan Shivir', Sarma claimed that no law in the country, including those for the protection of wildlife, prohibit entry into forest areas after sunset. "Going to wildlife sanctuaries at night is in fashion across the world. Places like Singapore have been doing it," he said. The controversy over the jeep safari with the Sadhguru is, in fact, creating a negative impression about the state and its people as it shows Assam inviting an esteemed guest and then creating a fuss over it, he said. With Sarma by his side, Sadhguru drove the vehicle on Saturday evening to tour a part of the national park along with other dignitaries. Sadhguru was here for the inauguration of the ..

Police complaint against Sadhguru, Assam CM over Kaziranga jeep safari

A police complaint was lodged on Sunday against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, spiritual leader Sadhguru and others for allegedly violating wildlife protection laws during their jeep safari after dusk in the Kaziranga Nation Park the previous day. The complaint was filed at the Bokakhat Police Station in Golaghat district by people living in villages on the fringe of the national park, a senior officer said. "We have started an enquiry into the issue. As the KNP falls under the forest department, we have asked for a status report on the allegations from the divisional forest officer of the park," he said. When contacted, an official at the KNP, who wished not to be named, expressed his difficulties to comment on the matter at this stage. "People have a right to make an allegation, and based on it, an enquiry will be conducted. But before the matter is looked into, we cannot make any comment on it," he said. On the allegation of violation of wildlife protection laws, the

Change mindset to ensure Assam goes up development ladder: CM to officials

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday urged his cabinet colleagues, legislators and bureaucrats to change their mindset and work towards a vision to ensure the state goes up the development ladder by at least two levels by 2026. It is time for Assam to re-emerge as a developed state, Sarma asserted while inaugurating a 'Chintan Shivir' here. Assam cannot live anymore with the scar that its place in the country's development journey can be counted only from the bottom, and not the top... We have to live with dignity and not always approach the Centre for assistance, he said. There are many development indicators that can be changed in the next two to three years if we work collectively and resolutely, and we have to decide on how Assam can go up by at least two levels by 2026, the chief minister said. Sarma said there was no need to frame visions for the next 50 years as no one knows who will live till then to see its implementation or review it. We are in a hurry an

Assam govt consistently asking Centre to ban on PFI: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said his government has been consistently requesting the Centre to ban the Popular Front of India (PFI) for allegedly "creating an eco-system for terror activities". The state police have so far arrested "11 PFI activists" as a part of the nationwide crackdown on the radical Islamic outfit, he said. "The Assam government is consistently asking the Centre to ban the PFI. we are convinced that the organisation needs to be banned, Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme here. The state government, however, has given its inputs on the outfit to the Centre, he said. In a massive crackdown on the PFI, multi-agency teams spearheaded by the NIA arrested 106 leaders and activists of the radical Islamic outfit on Thursday in near-simultaneous raids in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. Sarma said the police are investigating whether there are links among the outfit and the radicalisation modules in som