Bhupen Goswami 

GUWAHATI : The Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday ceremonially flagged off a truck carrying 2,000 water-proof solar lights donated by the Art of Living Foundation's Sri Sri Rural Development Program Trust under its "Light a Home Project" for Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts. Addressing the gathering for the ceremonial flag off at the Assam Secretariat premises, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude towards the Art of Living Foundation led by renowned spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar for their kind gesture towards the people of the State through its &;Light a Home Project;.

The Chief Minister said the spiritual guru, Sri Sri Ravishankar, during his visit to the State last September to address Government of Assam's Chintan Shivir programme held at Kaziranga, had expressed his eagerness to provide solar lights for the two districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. The Chief Minister added that already numerous households located in various villages in the country have benefited from this initiative of Art of Living Foundation. Since 2013, the Art of Living Foundation's "Light a Home Project" has covered around 3,000 households across 760 villages in the country, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma added. The flag-off event has been organised in order to ensure this noble initiative is able gets greater exposure and publicity, he added.

It is worth mentioning that the solar lights donated today by the Art of Living Foundation would be distributed among tribal communities residing in the interior parts of the two hill districts. There is option to charge mobile phones through these solar light systems, it is known. Today's flag-off event was also attended by Assam Ministers Jogen Mohan, UG Brahma, Sanjay Kishan, Pijush Hazarika, Nandita Gorlosa, Chief Secretary Paban Kumar Borthakur and senior officers of various departments.