Page 4 - Himanta Biswa Sarma

ONGC to permanently cap leaking oil well in Assam's Sivasagar: CM Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will begin permanently capping the crude oil well in Sivasagar district that has been leaking gas for the past nine days. Speaking at a press conference, Sarma said ONGC had already implemented two emergency measures without success. "There are usually four emergency methods that ONGC and Oil India Limited (OIL) apply to check such leakages. ONGC has already implemented Plan A and Plan B without any success," he said. The energy major will now apply Plan C, which will cap the entire well permanently, and for this, US experts will reach Sivasagar by this evening, he said. 'Capping of the well will begin tomorrow and will be carried out in consultation with the US experts. It is expected to be completed within the next four or five days', he added. After exploring multiple approaches with great effort and precision, ONGC is now advancing with a more practical and safer strategy to cap the

Another 'anti-national' held in Assam, total 94 since Pahalgam attack

One more person has been apprehended for allegedly making "pro-Pakistan and communal posts" on social media, taking the total number of such arrests to 94 so far in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in April, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The person was arrested in Nalbari after constant monitoring, he said. "Crackdown on Anti-national elements continue. @KamrupPolice arrested Safiqul Haque, who was using different SIMs to use Facebook to post pro-Pakistan and communal posts," the chief minister wrote on 'X' on Wednesday. Sarma had earlier said the 'state-wide crackdown on traitors would continue and nobody would be spared. The police have launched action against those people who were allegedly indulging in 'anti-India and pro-Pakistan activities'. The chief minister had also said that the National Security Act (NSA) will be clamped on certain people arrested in such cases, but not on all. Opposition AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam was arrested on sedition charges for alle

Assam govt to intensify drive to identify illegal foreigners: CM Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the state government would enforce a 1950 law to identify and evict illegal foreigners. He claimed that the law empowers the district commissioners to declare individuals as illegal immigrants and initiate eviction proceedings. Speaking during a special day-long Assembly session, he alleged that Congress does not value 'citizenship', as out of four family members of one of its leaders, three are foreigners. It was an apparent jibe at the opposition party's state president Gaurav Gogoi, who was seated at the visitors gallery of the Assembly in front of the treasury bench, whom the chief minister had been targeting for his alleged Pakistan links through his British wife. Sarma, replying to issues of detection and deportation of foreigners, said the state government will implement the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, for the purpose. It allows the district commissioner to declare illegal foreigners and evict them. S

PM Modi speaks to Northeast leaders on floods, assures full support

Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang also shared a post on X, thanking PM Modi for his concern about the flood and landslide situation in the state

CM Himanta vows rapid action to identify, deport foreign nationals in Assam

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the process to detect and deport declared foreigners will be fast-tracked, with legal steps taken against those not appealing in higher courts

Assam approves arms licences for indigenous people near Bangladesh border

Assam approves arms licences for indigenous people in vulnerable border areas near Bangladesh. CM clarifies the policy won't apply to inter-state borders. Opposition raises safety concerns

Why is Assam giving arms licences to indigenous people in ‘vulnerable’ areas

The Assam government will now issue arms licences to indigenous residents in “vulnerable” border areas. While the move is being framed as empowerment, critics fear it could inflame tensions.

Credible inputs suggest Gogoi's 'proximity' with Pakistan govt: Himanta

Claiming that there are credible inputs suggesting Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi's "proximity" with the Pakistani establishment, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said his admission of visiting that country "is just the beginning" of something "far more serious". Debunking claims that he had alleged links with the Pakistani establishment, Gogoi told a press conference in New Delhi that he had gone to Pakistan only once, 12 years ago. "Finally, Congress MP Shri Gaurav Gogoi has admitted that he visited Pakistan. But let us be very clear -- this is just the beginning, not the end. What lies ahead is far more serious. There exists every reasonable ground, supported by credible inputs and documented information, to suggest that Shri Gogoi has maintained proximity with the Pakistani establishment," Sarma posted on X. He said the Assam government is committed to transparency and accountability and will make everything public on September 10, once the Special Investigation Team .

Will eradicate child marriage in Assam by 2026, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Assam government's approach of taking legal action against child marriage led to an 81 per cent decline in such cases in 20 of its 35 districts between 2021-22 and 2023-24, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The chief minister also vowed to eradicate child marriage completely in Assam by 2026, according to an official release. Assam's relentless campaign to weed out child marriage received commendation during the NDA chief ministers' conclave held here on Sunday, Sarma said. At the conclave, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Assam came in for much appreciation from the Union ministers, chief ministers of other states, and Modi himself, for its "vigorous and relentless" efforts to eliminate child marriage, he said. Modi asked the chief ministers of the NDA-ruled states to emulate the Assam model to eradicate the menace of child marriage, according to the release. Modi also asked officials to visit Assam to get a first-hand experience of how the state has done away

Assam alternative destination for electronics makers: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam the alternative destination for electronics makers

Bangladesh has '2 chicken necks', far more vulnerable, says Himanta Sarma

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma highlights two narrow corridors in Bangladesh, calling them more vulnerable than India's Siliguri corridor amid row over strategic access in the Northeast

Assam CM Sarma urges Vedanta, ITC to fast-track ₹5.18 trn investments

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met top industrialists here and sought fulfilment of their commitments made at an investment summit held in Guwahati in February. The chief minister met Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal here on Friday evening and asked him to operationalise the group's investment commitment made during the Advantage Assam 2.0 investment summit, an official release said. Agarwal said the group is wholly committed to Assam's growth journey and is keen to expand its footprint in the state's hydrocarbon sector. Later, Sarma took to 'X' and wrote, "Today in New Delhi, I met the very enterprising Chairman of Vedanta Group Shri Anil Agarwal Ji". "We spoke on operationalising the group's investment commitment made during AdvantageAssam2. Vedanta is keen to expand its footprint in the state's hydrocarbon sector," he said. The chief minister also met the Managing Director of ITC Hotels, Anil Chadha, and discussed with him the potential of investment in the ...

71 'anti-nationals' arrested in Assam after Pahalgam attack: CM Himanta

Three more people have been apprehended in Assam for allegedly being involved in "anti-national" activities, following the Pahalgam terror attack, taking the total number of such arrests to 71 so far, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. In a post on X, Sarma said one person each was arrested from Kokrajhar, Goalpara and South Salmara-Mankachar districts. "71 Anti-Nationals are now behind bars! @assampolice is strictly monitoring the digital space," he added. Earlier, opposition AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly "defending" Pakistan and its complicity in the Pahalgam terror attack. After getting bail in the case, Islam was detained under the National Security Act (NSA). Sarma had, on May 2, threatened to take stringent action against those who raised the 'Pakistan zindabad' slogan in the aftermath of the Jammu and Kashmir terror attack last month.

Youths opposing industrialists as students later work for them: Himanta

Claiming that Left and liberal ideologies are "obsolete" in current times, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday maintained that those opposing big industrialists during their student days being swayed by these beliefs end up working for such business houses later in life. He also asserted that it is imperative to welcome investors to the state to secure the future of the younger generation, urging people not to fall into the "trap of the eternal youth leader", without naming anyone. Sarma was speaking at a MoU exchange ceremony for projects worth nearly Rs 22,900 crore which were signed during the Advantage Assam 2.0 business summit held in February this year. "Left and liberal ideologies are obsolete now. Youth who are swayed by Left ideology during their student days cannot stick to it when they go out in search of jobs. When they have to face the tough situation of providing for their families, they have to seek employment with the same business houses which they ha

BJP-led NDA set for big win as counting continues in Assam panchayat polls

The BJP and its alliance partners are leading in maximum Zilla Parishad and Anchalik Panchayat seats

Himanta accuses Congress of spreading propaganda on IMF bailout to Pakistan

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday accused Congress leaders, like Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, of indulging in propaganda on the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) bailout to Pakistan. His allegation comes after India on Friday opposed the IMF's proposal to extend fresh loans of USD 2.3 billion to Pakistan, saying that the funds could be misused for financing state-sponsored cross-border terrorism. 'Exposing the Misinformation: IMF, Pakistan, and India's Principled Stand once again, Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera are indulging in reckless propaganda-twisting facts and misleading the nation over India's stand on the recent IMF bailout to Pakistan'," the chief minister posted on 'X'. He claimed that the truth should be known and 'there is no 'NO' vote at IMF". 'Contrary to what Congress wants the public to believe, the IMF does not have a system for casting a 'no' vote. The only legitimate way to register disagreement is by abstaining, which

India setting global benchmarks, Pak facing regular crisis: CM Himanta

Making a comparison on different economic parameters, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that India is racing ahead by setting global benchmarks, but Pakistan still grapples with recurring crises and shrinking influence in the world. In a post on X, Sarma on Saturday night said that India presently stands as one of the world's most dynamic, resilient and forward-looking nations. "While Pakistan grapples with recurring crises and shrinking influence, India is racing ahead, setting global benchmarks in growth, technology, and self-reliance," he added. Sarma pointed out that India's GDP currently stands at USD 4.19 trillion, making it the fifth largest economy in the world, while the same of Pakistan is just USD 357 billion which is less than what a single state like Maharashtra contributes. "From railways to rocket launches, India is building for the future. With a record USD 688.13 billion in (forex) reserves, India has one of the strongest financial cushions on the .

At least 39 held in Assam for 'defending Pakistan' after Pahalgam attack

Two more persons have been apprehended in Assam for "defending Pakistan on Indian soil", taking the total number of arrested people to 39 since the Pahalgam terror attack last month, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Sarma also said the two were arrested from Hojai and South Salmara-Mankachar districts. "#Update on Crackdown against traitors for defending Pakistan on Indian soil... A total of 39 Anti Nationals put behind bars till now," the chief minister said on X on Saturday night. Earlier, opposition AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam was arrested on sedition charges for allegedly defending Pakistan and its complicity in the Pahalgam terror attack. On Friday, Sarma threatened to break the legs of those who raised the 'Pakistan zindabad' slogan in the aftermath of the Jammu and Kashmir terror attack. Addressing a campaign rally for the panchayat elections, he appealed to the people to pray and give strength to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Army so that Pakistani terrori

Indus Waters Treaty one of strategic blunders by Nehru: Assam CM Himanta

Alleging that the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru was "one of the greatest strategic blunders", Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the suspension of the pact sends a clear message that India will "no longer reward terror and hostility with appeasement". Sarma also alleged that the country's first prime minister's "misplaced obsession with international approval came at the cost of India's long-term national interest". He praised the Narendra Modi government's decision to keep the treaty in abeyance. India's decision to suspend the decades-old treaty follows the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday. "Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's signing of the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960 stands as one of the greatest strategic blunders in India's history," Sarma said in a post on X. "Despite India's natural upper riparian advantage, Nehru, under immense pressure from the then American administra

Pahalgam terror attack: Arrests for 'pro-Pakistan' posts rise to 9 in Assam

One more person was apprehended in Assam for his alleged pro-Pakistan stand in the wake of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of such arrests in the state to nine, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. He said the latest arrest was made in the Sribhumi district on Friday night. Sarma, in a post on X, said the accused had posted 'Pakistan Zindabad' on Facebook. Two persons, including opposition AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam, were apprehended on Thursday, while six more arrests across the state were made on Friday, Sarma had said. "Assam will not tolerate any individual who, directly or indirectly, supports or defends Pakistan in connection with the heinous attack in Pahalgam," he said in a post on social media on Friday. Of the persons arrested earlier, two are from Silchar in Cachar district and one each from Hailakandi, Morigaon, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Barpeta and Biswanath, he added. Terrorists struck Baisaran, a prime tourist location in Pahalg