By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of 200 TPD Formalin plant at Boitamari in Bongaigaon District at a function held at Boitamari today. It may be noted that the project involving an approximate cost of Rs. 100 crore will be built on a sprawling 163 bigha of land and the construction will be completed within a time frame of 24 months. Besides Government of Assam, Assam Gas Company, and Oil India Limited are the stake holders of the project. Set up in 1971, Assam Petrochemicals Limited has been engaged in the production of Methyl and Formalin since 1976. For the capacity augmentation of Assam Petrochemicals Limited, work for a project for producing 500 ton Methyl every day has been going on in full swing in Namrup. On the other hand for managing commercial production of Formalin plant the foundation of which has been laid at Baitamari today, a marketing terminal worth Rs. 15 crore will be built. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal said that corruption practiced and propagated by the previous government has weaken the administrative machinery of the state.

The roots of corruption have engulfed the entire state. Though the Congress government ruled for 55 years in Delhi and Dispur, the government has failed miserably to put the growth trajectory of the state into fast momentum. Therefore, ever since the present BJP led government has come to power an all important four point agenda that is a state free from corruption, illegal immigrants, insurgents and pollution has put on the forefront and the government has been working vigorously to achieve this target. Moreover, an agenda has been high on the priority list to make Assam one of the advanced states of the country. Carrying this objective forward, State government for the last two years and 10 months has been working relentlessly embracing people belonging to all caste, community, creed and ethnicity. Chief Minister Sonowal also said that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led to awakening of humanitarian consciousness which has enabled everybody to lead a life of dignity. Led by his vision, Assam has been able to toe the lines along with other advanced states of the country to make it one of the front ranking states. He also said that the youths of the state have been making passionate progress in the fields of agriculture, art and culture, sports etc. Referring to the meteoric rise of Hima Das and Rima Das in the global arena, Sonowal said that even the agricultural outputs of Assam have occupied international markets in London, Dubai etc Stating about Advantage Assam: Global Investors’ Summit which was held in Guwahati last year, Sonowal also said that previously investors outside of Assam were apprehensive to invest in Assam.

However, time has changed now as the state has witnessed investment to the tune of Rs. 50,000 crore in both public and private sectors because of the investors’ friendly climate created by the new dispensation in the state which has helped to create employment avenues for 45 thousand youths. Stating that State government is committed to the promotion of education in the state, Sonowal said that to facilitate equal development of all the 33 districts of the state, his government has decided to set up six new medical colleges, nine engineering colleges, 30 polytechnic institutes and skill development centres in 240 development blocks of the state. Moreover, in association with Singapore Government a Skill University will be set up in Mangaldoi. Minister of Commerce and Industry Chandra Mohan Patowary while speaking on the occasion said that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for the creation of industrial landscape in Lower and Upper Assam and on the north bank of the river Brahmaputra has given special impetus. As a part of it an industrial corridor has been declared from Guwahati to Tihu and on the North Bank industrial units like Patanjali, Dabur, Havells were set up. He also said that State government has taken an ambitious plan for setting up of a logistic hub at Jogighopa along with reviving Ashok Paper Mill. Chairman of Assam Petro Chemical Limited Jagadish Bhuyan, MLA South Abhayapuri Ananta Kumar Malu, Vice Chairman Assam Petro Chemicals Limited Bikul Kumar Deka also spoke on the occasion. Deputy Commissioner Bongaigaon Adil Khan, Vice Chairman of Assam Industrial Development Corporation Jitu Talukdar, Vice Chairman of Assam Financial Corporation Anil Das, Director AEGCL Sankar Das and a host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.