GUWAHATI: Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday inaugurated the newly built Chandi Barua Bhawan and a “swahid bedi” (martyrs’ column) as a tribute to the martyrs of anti-foreigners’ movement of the state (1979-85) at Howly.
Sonowal also laid the foundation of an “Adarani Toron” (welcome gateway) to Howly to be built by the Assam Tourism Development Corporation at a cost of Rs 40 lakh on the national highway.
A government spokesman said the Chandi Barua Bhawan of Howly has been reconstructed by the cultural affairs department involving a financial outlay of Rs 2 crore while the “swahid bedi” has been built using the untied funds of the chief minister.
Speaking at a programme, Sonowal, while paying rich tributes to the martyrs of Assam Agitation from Howly, said the people of Howly should be committed to keeping the town dignified, clean and green.
The CM said the present BJP-led state government has been working to bolster the development of the state taking everybody belonging to all communities and ethnicities on board in contrary to the discord and disharmony created by Congress and the Left parties. He added that though some vested interest groups are conspiring to derail the rate of development, the state government is committed to expediting the development of the state.
Sonowal said the government has taken several steps for the infrastructure development of the state in the last four years. He added that though several governments were in power in the state since Independence, the development of the areas on the north bank of the Brahmaputra remained lopsided. But the present BJP-led government in the state took several steps for all-round development of all areas, the CM said.
Thanking his media adviser Hirhsikesh Goswami for showing keen interest in the development of Howly, the CM urged the people of Howly to remain committed to transform Howly into one of the top-ranking towns of the state. He called upon the people of Barpeta to work unrelentingly to make the district more developed culturally, spiritually, socially, economically and infrastructurally.
Sonowal also laid the foundation to mark the beginning of the construction work of Jania Satra to be built with a financial outlay of Rs 50 lakh.