Nirmala Sitharaman to lay foundation stone of Swahid Kankalata Barua State University on November 8
CM Dr. Sarma flags off fleet of vehicles carrying ‘Amrit Kalash’ to Gohpur
Just prior to the foundation-laying ceremony of Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University in Gohpur on November 8, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma today flagged off 270 vehicles carrying Amrit Kalash containing soil collected from every village and municipal ward for the construction of the university. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will lay the foundation stone of Assam’s first university focussed on technical and vocational education and training.
It may be noted that two years ago in the year 2023, the people of the state came together to donate soil from their villages during Amrit Kalash Yatra. The soil thus collected, will be used in the Bhumi Pujan of Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University on 8 November.
Speaking on the occasion at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said that the Amrit Kalash Yatra programme was observed in Assam from September 20, 2023, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’, initiative. Under this programme, soil or rice was collected from every household in every village and municipal ward across the state. Out of the 540 Amrit Kalash thus received from the 270 development blocks and municipal bodies of the state, 270 were sent to New Delhi for the construction of the Amrit Vatika near the National War Memorial, while the remaining 270 were preserved at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra. The Chief Minister said, “I consider it my pleasure to flag off the 270 Amrit Kalash which will be used at the Bhumi Pujan ceremony of Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University in Gohpur”.
The Chief Minister described the construction of Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University as one of the most ambitious projects of the State government and stated that it will be the country’s first university dedicated to technology-based vocational education and training. He said that the institution will be built over 731 bighas of land at Bholaguri Tea Estate in Gohpur with an estimated expenditure of Rs. 500 crore. The Public Works Department has already completed the tendering process and is ready to begin construction.
Dr. Sarma further stated that after Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University, this new university will emerge as another premier institution of higher education in Assam. He mentioned that the area of land allotted for the new university exceeds that of Tezpur University. State government has made adequate financial provisions to ensure that Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University becomes a modern educational institution of higher education. The university will offer advanced courses in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, and other emerging disciplines. He also informed that efforts are underway to establish academic collaboration between this university and a reputed international institution.
The Chief Minister moreover informed that financial compensation and rehabilitation arrangements have already been made for the workers of Bholaguri Tea Estate. He also announced that the government has appointed Professor IIT Guwahati Parameswar Iyer as the mentor to oversee the academic and institutional framework of the university. Dr. Sarma said that the soil thus sent for the university symbolizes the collective aspirations and dreams of every person in Assam.
Dr. Sarma moreover said that in December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Assam to inaugurate the new terminal of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Borjhar. During the visit, he will also lay the foundation stone of a urea and ammonia project with an annual capacity of about 12 lakh metric tonnes. The Prime Minister is expected to visit Assam again in January next year to inaugurate the Guwahati–North Guwahati bridge and lay foundation stones for the proposed Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, Silchar–Guwahati Express Corridor, IIM Guwahati campus, and several other projects, Dr. Sarma added.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to visit Assam either at the end of December or in early January next year. During his visit, the Home Minister will inaugurate the 5,000 seat capacity Jyoti-Bishnu Cultural Complex at Khanapara in Guwahati along with Batadrawa Than Project constructed at the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev in Bardowa.
Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will arrive in Assam tomorrow to interact with around 300 young entrepreneurs of Assam at the semiconductor project in Jagiroad. She will also inaugurate the state of the art river terminal constructed near Sukreswar Ghat in Guwahati and open to the public the newly beautified Brahmaputra riverfront at Uzan Bazar near the Raj Bhavan. Similarly, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Guwahati on November 8 on the occasion of ‘Air Show’ to be displayed by Indian Air Force.
Finance Minister Ajanta Neog, Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Bora, Public Health Engineering Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi, Suman Haripriya, Dharmeswar Konwar, Diganta Ghatowar, Chief Executive Member of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Tuliram Ronghang, Additional Chief Secretary Cultural Affairs Department Dr. B. Kalyan Chakravarthy, among others.
