CM announces plan to develop Jorhat Stadium, setting up Amrit Udayan

A CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma on Friday announced a slew of plans, including the development of Jorhat Stadium at par with that of an international one. The Chief Minister further announced the setting up of a Rs 100-crore Amrit Udayan, a heritage park, within the premises of the 110-year old Central Jail, Jorhat, which was linked with India's freedom movement, and expanding the maidam of Lachit Barphukan

The Chief Minister further disclosed that the government had plans to expand the Jorhat Stadium and develop it on the scale of an international stadium. He said that the stadium would be like that of the one at Sarusujai in Guwahati and would have smart facilities. "It was my dream to develop Jorhat Stadium in the line of an international one and that is why I have come to see it and find out how it can be developed," he said.

He further said that work would start in two or three months and that there was a proposal to link the adjacent JDSA ground and Court Field with the stadium. Jorhat Stadium is said to be oldest in Assam.

Sarma, who arrived here late in the afternoon, firstly inspected the Central Jail, Jorhat and the open air jail. He informed that Rs 38 crore will be provided by the North Eastern Council and Rs 62 crore will be borne by the State Government. He said that the proposed park would preserve the cells where great freedom fighters and martyrs like Sri Sri Pitambar Deva Goswami and Kushal Konwar were lodged. Sarma said that the park will have a convention centre, a market, a yoga centre, food plaza and sizeable open air space.

He further mentioned that poet lyricist Hiren Bhattacharya's home in the complex would also be preserved. Hiruda as he was popularly known, was born in one of the quarters as his father was working there as a jailor. He said that the work for setting up the park had been planned to start from August 14.

The Chief Minister also visited the Cinnamara Tea Estate, the garden established by Maniram Dewan, the first Indian tea planter and a martyr of the 1857 Revolt against the British rule. Dewan is stated to be buried in Cinnamara TE. Sarma said that the government would come up with a plan to develop the site to honour Dewan, the pioneer entrepreneur, and to develop the place into a tourist spot.

He also stated that the government was proposing the acquisition of a 50-bigha plot of land near the Lachit Maidam at Holongapar Gohain Gaon on the outskirts of Jorhat to further develop the site as a historical place on the occasion of the 400th birth anniversary of the legendary Ahom General Lachit Borphukan. Sarma said that Rs 1 crore had already been sanctioned in this regard as an initial step.

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