OUR CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: Digboi Assembly constituency has firmly stamped its authority as a pace-setter in Assam’s development landscape, scripting a record of governance marked by transparency, delivery, and multiple state-level firsts over the last five years.
On Thursday evening, local MLA Suren Phukan placed a comprehensive development and welfare report before Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, bringing constituency-level performance directly under the Chief Minister’s scrutiny. The move underscored the BJP-led government’s emphasis on outcome-based governance and institutional accountability.
Earlier in the day, the detailed booklet was formally handed over at the BJP Assam Pradesh office at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan, where it was received by senior BJP leader and Lakhimpur Lok Sabha MP Pradan Baruah. With this submission, Digboi became the first Assembly constituency in Assam to present a structured, documented account of development works undertaken during a full five-year term.
Significantly, this was not a one-off exercise. Phukan has maintained this tradition across his earlier tenures as well, making him the first MLA in the state to consistently submit performance reports during successive terms—an approach rarely seen in constituency politics.
Welcoming the initiative, Pradan Baruah praised the effort both at the party office and later on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to him for handing over the first report among all the Assembly constituencies of Assam to us,” Baruah stated, describing the booklet as a clear account of development works implemented over the last five years.
According to the report, Digboi recorded several state-level firsts, including the completion of Assam’s first Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) house at Betjan under Hapjan Gaon Panchayat, benefiting resident Nandeshwar Pegu. The constituency also hosted the state’s first, third, and fourth Jal Jeevan Mission projects, primarily at Betjan tea estate, ensuring access to safe drinking water.
Community and social infrastructure development also featured prominently. Assam’s first and second Jagannath Community Cultural Centres were inaugurated at Betjan and Hapjan tea estates respectively, while the first Adarsha Anganwadi Centres were established to strengthen early childhood care, nutrition, and education.
Special emphasis was placed on tea garden areas such as Betjan, Hapjan, and Chamdang, with targeted interventions aimed at improving basic amenities and quality of life for tea garden workers and their families.
Reiterating his vision, MLA Suren Phukan said that his goal was to ensure that Digboi continues to ‘remain ahead of the curve’ in Assam’s development journey. Political observers see the detailed documentation as reinforcing the BJP government’s narrative of performance-driven governance under Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, with Digboi emerging as a constituency others may now seek to emulate.
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