Page 8 - Himanta Biswa Sarma

Serving beef, consumption in public places in Assam to be banned: Sarma

The Assam government has decided to ban serving and consumption of beef in restaurants, hotels and public places, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday. A decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet to amend the existing law on beef consumption to incorporate the new provisions. "We have decided to ban serving and consumption of beef in restaurants, hotel and public places," he told a press conference here. Sarma said the current law on beef consumption is strong but there has been no prohibition in consumption of beef at restaurants, hotels and religious or social gathering so far. "Now, we have decided to make the law stronger to put a complete ban on consumption of beef in public places too in Assam," he said. The chief minister said the meeting of the state cabinet, which he attended virtually from Delhi, also decided to broaden the road connecting Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi airport to the city from four lane to six lane. He said a cab

Situation in neighbouring Manipur will impact Assam, says Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday that the situation in neighbouring Manipur will have an impact on the state. Additional police forces have been deployed in Barak Valley which shares a border with violence-hit Manipur to ensure no spill-over effects. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Cachar district, Sarma said, I think the situation in Manipur will definitely have some impact on Assam. That is why we have deployed additional police forces in Barak Valley to see that nothing spills over to Assam." The Barak Valley of Cachar district shares a border with Jiribam of Manipur. The ethnically diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by the clashes in Imphal Valley and the adjoining hills, witnessed violence after the mutilated body of a farmer was found in a field in June this year. More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Z

Ready to ban beef in Assam if Congress writes to me: CM Himanta Sarma

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was ready to ban beef in Assam if state Congress chief Bupen Kumar Borah writes to him, seeking such it. Responding to the allegation that BJP distributed beef to win the Muslim-dominated Samaguri, which was under Congress control for five consecutive terms, Sarma said he was happy that the opposition party raised the matter. "Samaguri was with Congress for 25 years. Congress losing a constituency like Samaguri by 27,000 votes (sic) is the biggest shame in its history. It is Congress's defeat more than BJP's win," he told reporters after a party meeting here on Saturday. BJP's Diplu Ranjan Sarmah defeated Congress' Tanzil, son of party MP Rakibul Hussain, by 24,501 votes in a bypoll last month. "But amidst sadness, Rakibul Hussain said one good thing that eating beef is wrong, isn't it? He said that it was wrong for Congress-BJP to win elections by offering beef to voters," the CM said when asked about the MP's reported comment. "I want t

Assam will send teams to Jharkhand to study 'two-three things': CM Himanta

In a tit-for-tat response, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he would send two delegations to study a few things in Jharkhand, days after his counterpart Hemant Soren took a cabinet decision to despatch an all-party team to study the plight of tea tribes in the northeastern state. Sarma, however, did not specify the areas of concern for the Assam government for deciding to send inspection teams to Jharkhand. "In our cabinet on December 5, we will make some decisions regarding visiting some Jharkhand areas. We will also go and see two-three things there," he told reporters after a BJP meeting here on Saturday night when asked about the Jharkhand government's decision to send a team to Assam. Hours after JMM leader Hemant Soren was sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand on November 28, his government approved the formation of an all-party panel to study the plight of the "marginalised" tea tribes in Assam. "We will be happy if somebody looks after us because we

Barring few incidents, Northeast free from law and order issue: Assam CM

ssam Chief Minister also proposed the establishment of tourism museums in New Delhi and Guwahati, which would play a crucial role in promoting Northeast India as a distinct tourism circuit

No appeasement, justice to all: Himanta outlines strategy for Assam polls

Sarma emphasised that the BJP would focus on at least five key constituencies in Assam, particularly those with significant religious minority voters

Assam to host business summit in February, PM Modi to inaugurate: CM Sarma

Assam will be hosting a two-day business summit in February next year with a focus on attracting investment and developing the state's infrastructure, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Sunday. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the 'Advantage Assam 2.0 - the Global Infrastructure and Investors' Summit' on February 24, with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to be invited for the valedictory session. "We hosted the first 'Advantage Assam' investment summit in 2018, which led to agreements for investments of Rs 1 lakh crore. But due to the COVID pandemic, we could not hold any follow-up meet, even though the state has been attracting investments," Sarma said, addressing a press conference here. He maintained that good governance and peace have contributed to the state emerging as an investment destination. "Taking it forward, we will be hosting the two-day summit in February. The prime minister has already accepted our invitation, and we ar

Constitutional duty of Soren govt to identify, deport infiltrators: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged the JMM-led alliance, which retained power in Jharkhand, to perform its constitutional duty of identifying and deporting infiltrators from the eastern state. Sarma, who was the BJP's co-in-charge for Jharkhand polls, also called upon the newly elected party MLAs to raise the issue of infiltration in the assembly, maintaining that the illegal migrants pose a serious threat to the eastern state. In a late Saturday night Facebook live, Sarma said, "I believe today also that the problem of infiltration will cause a lot of harm to Jharkhand in the coming days. It is your (JMM) government and I appeal to you to push back these infiltrators or at least identify them. It is your constitutional duty." "I believe that the Jharkhand government will fulfil this responsibility," the BJP leader, who had extensively raised the issue of infiltration in Jharkhand during his poll campaign, added. Sarma also appealed to the newly elected BJP MLAs to

Assam govt renames Karimganj district to Sribhumi; CM Sarma justifies move

The Assam government on Thursday changed the name of Karimganj district in the Barak Valley to Sribhumi, according to an official notification. The district headquarters Karimganj town has also been renamed Sribhumi town. "The Governor of Assam is pleased to rename the Karimganj district as Sribhumi district and Karimganj town as Sribhumi town," General Administration Department Principal Secretary Mukesh Chandra Sahu said in the notification. The changes will be applicable with immediate effect, it said. The Assam cabinet had on Tuesday decided to rename Karimganj district to Sribhumi. "Over 100 years ago, Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore had described modern-day Karimganj district in Assam as Sribhumi - the land of Maa Lakshmi. Today, the Assam cabinet has fulfilled this long-standing demand of our people," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said after the cabinet meeting. The decision to rename the district will reflect the expectations and aspirations of the people of the ...

Jharkhand election is for poor, youth, and Hindu pride, says Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the Jharkhand election is for poor, youth, women and Hindu pride. He also accused the JMM-led government of allegedly not fulfilling any promise made during the 2019 elections. "Chief Minister Hemant Soren is busy talking about his wife, while his wife Kalpana Soren says 'ek hi nara Hemant dubara' (one slogan, Hemant for second time). I want to ask who will talk about youth, women and the poor in the state. This time no Hemant 'dubara' but poor and youth 'dubara'," Sarma said addressing an election rally at Mandu in Hazaribag district. He added, "This Jharkhand election is for poor, women and youth, besides Hindu pride and protection. This election is for Jharkhand's as well as country's development." Attacking Hemant Soren-led government for allegedly not fulfilling its promises, he said that the government had promised to provide five lakh jobs and unemployment allowances. "But, the government did not fulfil its promise. If

Assam: CM Himanta dismisses tree cutting controversy over Guwahati flyover

Amidst the ongoing row over cutting century-old trees to give way for a flyover, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that a section of people have created "unnecessary controversy" to target the developmental works of the government. The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday slapped notices on Assam government over its plans to cut around 25 century-old trees for construction of a four-lane 5.05 km long flyover, the longest in the city, from Dighalipukhuri tank to Noonmati at a cost of Rs 852.68 crore. "For the last six months, I have been noticing that one particular circle is trying to create an unnecessary controversy regarding the flyover and trees of Dighalipukhuri," Sarma told reporters after visiting the construction site near the pond around midnight on Tuesday. He said the second controversy was shifting the statue of doyen of Assam literature Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa, and claimed that the flyover will pass above the statue and it will remain where it is .

Entire system of JMM fake: Himanta on controversy over Jharkhand CM's age

He further reacted to Congress leader Irfan Ansari's derogatory statements against BJP leader Sita Soren

J'khand will turn into mini-Bangladesh: Himanta warns of demographic shift

He also stressed on BJP's promise of implementing NRC in the state if it returns to power

JMM believes in dynastic politics; fields CM Soren, wife, brother: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday criticised the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for dynastic politics, pointing to their candidate list that includes "husband, wife, and brother." Sarma, who is BJP's Jharkhand election co-in-charge, was referring to the JMM list that includes the names of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his wife and JMM MLA Kalpana Soren and brother Basan Soren. "The JMM's candidate list clearly reflects dynastic politics," he said, noting the familial connections among the candidates. He also suggested that the JMM lacks a diverse candidate pool, remarking that if needed, the BJP could supply additional candidates, referring to some leaders from the saffron party who have recently joined the JMM. Polling to the 81-member assembly in the state will be held on November 13 and November 20, and votes will be counted on November 23.

SC verdict on Assam Accord not historic, I've mixed reaction: Himanta Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday expressed a "mixed reaction of happiness and sorrow" regarding the Supreme Court judgment on the cut-off date of the Assam Accord. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function on Sunday, Sarma emphasised that the Assamese people will have to move forward through "struggles." "I don't know if this judgment is historic or not. The government enacted the Assam Accord, so its stand in the court was that the cut-off date should be 1971. However, many people in Assam wished the cut-off date to be 1951," he said when asked for his comments on the judgment. In a majority verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act which grants Indian citizenship to immigrants who came to Assam between January 1, 1966 and March 25, 1971. A five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, said the Assam Accord was a political solution to the problem of

Assam to undertake Rs 800 cr project to rejuvenate 129 'beels': CM Sarma

Assam government will undertake an Rs 800 crore project to rejuvenate 129 'beels' (lake-like wetlands) in the state to boost fish production and aid in water storage, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. "To be executed in collaboration with Asian Development Bank, it will revive 4000 hectares of beels to give fillip to indigenous fish production and water management,' Sarma posted on 'X'. Beels are the backbone of Assam's hydrological resources which enable flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, river flow regulation, erosion control and are a source of fisheries. Rejuvenation and restoration of the beels will lead to additional fish production of 1,200 kg/hectare annually, he said. The project is aimed at increasing the water storage capacity of the beels as well as conserving and managing the indigenous fish species. A beel is a lake-like wetland with still water. These lake-like wetlands are biodiversity hotspots in Assam and are home to many types of aquatic

Centre issues notification for CBI probe into Assam online trading scam

The Centre has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe 41 cases linked to a multi-crore online trading scam in Assam. A notification in this connection was issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on Friday and shared by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on 'X' on Saturday. It states, "the powers and jurisdiction of the members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment has been extended throughout the state of Assam for the investigation of offences under relevant sections of IPC/BNS and other Acts as mentioned in the FIRs and any other law related to the 41 police cases, which are registered at various police stations in Assam concerning unregulated deposits involving fraudulent transactions and trading of large sums of money'. The CMO also noted that the state government, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has assured full cooperation to the CBI for a swift probe into these cases. The scam came to light in the last week of August

Assam CM gives appointment letter to youth in education, health sectors

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma handed over appointment letters to 385 youths in the health and education sectors on Monday, claiming that the government has already exceeded its election promise. At an official function, Sarma said with these new appointments, a total of 125,030 people have been given government jobs since he took office in May 2021. "Our government fulfilled its election promise of providing one lakh jobs long ago. No other government in Assam's history has created so many jobs in such a transparent and efficient manner," he said. The BJP had pledged to provide one lakh government jobs annually during the 2021 assembly election campaign but later clarified that this figure pertained to the entire five-year tenure. The Chief Minister noted that the process to fill around 35,000 additional posts is ongoing and that by May 2025, the total number of recruits is expected to surpass 150,000. "Health, Education, and Police have accounted for the highest number

Assam's innovative schemes being adopted by other states: CM Himanta

Despite being a small state, Assam is showing the way to other states which are adopting various innovative schemes being implemented by the BJP-led government here, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. Inaugurating three co-districts under Kamrup (Metropolitan) district here, the chief minister said that Assam is the first state to operationalise the concept of co-districts which will revolutionise governance at the grassroots level by taking administration to the doorsteps of the people. "I am confident that other states of the country will also adopt this concept in the next four to five years though they will give different names to it," he said. Earlier, Assam's administrative machinery was modelled on that of West Bengal and other developed states as the British governed the region as a single administrative unit but "now we have adopted several landmark schemes which are inspiring the other states", Sarma said. He pointed out that schemes like Orundoi for wom

Haryana election: Himanta urges action against drug-linked politicians

Sarma highlighted the Assam government's stringent actions against drugs and mentioned that during interrogations, suspects revealed they were transporting these substances to Haryana and Punjab