CM Himanta lays foundation of Guest House-cum-Yatri Niwas at Amingaon

GUWAHATI: With a view to benefitting patients and other visitors to the upcoming AIIMS at Changsari, as well as strengthening tourism infrastructure at Amingaon, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone for a Guest House-cum-Yatri Niwas and a project for development of the Saraighat Lake near the Kamrup DC's office at Amingaon on Thursday.

According to an official communiqué, the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) will implement the projects with an estimated cost of Rs 43 crore and Rs 5 crore respectively.

The Chief Minister on the occasion also launched ceremonial distribution of financial assistance amounting to Rs 2 lakh each to 114 registered tour operators and an amount of Rs 25,000 each to 605 registered tourist guides under the 'Paryatan Sanjeevani Scheme' of the Tourism Department.

Along with this, Sarma also launched a flagship scheme named 'Setting up of Godown for storage of Paddy in Rural areas of Assam' under the Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY), being implemented by the Assam Food & Civil Supply Corporation Limited (AFCSCL). As part of this, the Chief Minister ceremonially distributed 'Letter of Intent' to beneficiaries such as entrepreneurs, private agencies, NGOs etc., covered under this scheme for construction of godown and handed over a cheque of Rs 3.30 crore as first installment towards implementation of the scheme from CMSGUY to the implementing agency AFCSCL.

Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said that Amingaon and its adjoining areas have witnessed tremendous growth in economic activities in recent times. Projects like AIIMS at Changsari and ongoing construction of a bridge connecting Guwahati with North Guwahati and many such projects have added economic value to the area, apart from changing its socio-economic landscape. As a result of these development activities, there has been a significant rise of visitors and tourists to the area. The AIIMS is also expected to increase footfall in the area, especially patients and their attendants, in the coming days, the Chief Minister said.

Sarma further said that keeping in view the new developments and to meet the growing demand, the State Government has taken the initiative to construct the Guest House-cum-Yatri Niwas. "The Public Guest House will provide comfortable and hygienic accommodation to the patients and their attendants who stand in need of undergoing treatment in AIIMS, Guwahati," Sarma said, adding that the project would also provide a refreshment area for travellers and tourists by introducing wayside amenities within the campus.

Sarma said that the project for development of the Saraighat Lake will cover 7 bighas of land, which will create an extension of the existing park along the Saraighat Lake. Along with the Alaboi War memorial, work for which is expected to start from June, the Saraighat Lake and other sites of tourist interest will turn the area into an emerging tourism destination, he observed. The Chief Minister also said that coinciding with the 400th birth anniversary celebration of Mahabir Lachit Borphukan, he had recently written letters to the Chief Ministers of all the States of India to incorporate a chapter on the great general of Assam's history in the school curriculum of their respective States.

The Chief Minister also urged the Chairman of ATDC and the officials to ensure completion of the projects in a time-bound manner within a period of 18 to 24 months. He asked them to set milestones, conduct regular monitoring and ensure quick disbursal of payments for speedy implementation.

He also informed that to meet the growing demand of the area, the Government is planning to establish a Circuit House adjacent to the Kamrup DC's office. He also said that as construction under phase-I of the Integrated DC office complex is already complete, the Government would soon start construction under phase-II, which will make space available for all Government offices in the integrated building. Sarma also informed that plans are afoot to construct an international badminton academy at Amingaon.

The Chief Minister further said that while taking part at the celebration of 'World Tourism Day' last year, he had made an announcement to provide financial support to tour operators and tourist guides who suffered huge loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. He appreciated the Tourism Department for taking prompt steps to materialize the announcement made by him.

Further underlining the newly-launched scheme under CMSGUY for setting up of godowns at rural areas, Sarma said that the State Government during this year took an initiative to procure paddy from farmers at MSP of Rs 1,940 per quintal through the FCI. While procuring paddy from farmers, the procurement agencies had to face challenges in terms of storage as the FCI godowns have limited capacity, he said, adding that the new scheme will help to increase the storage capacity of paddy in paddy growing areas of Assam and provide safe storage conditions to prevent grain loss. The Chief Minister also informed about the State Government's plan to procure paddy directly from farmers from next year.

The Chief Minister informed that for implementation of this new scheme, the State Government through CMSGUY has accorded approval for a total amount of Rs 39 crore for setting up of godowns in 110 locations of rural areas in Assam with 50% subsidy, subject to a maximum of Rs 40 lakh per godown. The godowns would be able to store a minimum of 500 MT and a maximum of 2,000 MT of paddy at a time.

The Chief Minister asked the implementing agency to ensure time-bound construction of the godowns to meet the goal set by the State Government. He also urged the farmers to focus on cultivation of millet along with rice, which has immense potential to financially benefit farmers.

Food & Civil Supply & Consumer Affairs Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Industry & Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, Additional Chief Secretary for Tourism Maninder Singh and Additional Chief Secretary for FCS&CA BR Samal also spoke on the occasion.

While MD of ATDC Padmapani Bora delivered the welcome speech, the programme was also attended by MLA and political secretary to the Chief Minister, Jayanta Malla Baruah, Hajo MLA Suman Haripriya, Chairman of AFCSCL Rajen Gohain, Chairman of ATDC Rituparna Baruah, Vice-Chairman of ATDC Dilip Kumar Das, DC Kamrup Kailash Karthik, among others.

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