Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday laid the foundation stone of Bongaigaon Engineering College at Sanyasi Pahar of Bongaigaon town. Later speaking at the public meeting at Jelkajhar, Bongaigaon, the chief minister said that the Engineering College situated amidst the lush green surroundings would become one of the premier technical institutes in the days to come.
Calling on the people residing in the five villages near Sanyasi Pahar to keep a strict watch over the functioning of the engineering college, Sonowal directed the Education and Tourism departments to make the institute a place of tourist attraction by putting in place world class infrastructure. He also directed the department concerned to construct the guest house of the college at par with the modern standards of the one in Tezpur University. During the last 55 years India got only underdevelopment due to conflict among the various sections of the society, the chief minister said. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘sabka sath sabka vikash’ motto of governance has given a new impetus to the developmental activities in the country,” he added.
Stating that the infrastructure development in the Northeast region has got a new lease of life under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the chief minister said the central government has already approved construction of 7000 km of roads in the state which would greatly boost the rural economy.
Tender for the 18 km long bridge to be constructed over Brahmaputra connecting Dhubri and Phoolbari has already been called which would boost connectivity of the five districts of Goalpara, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Chirang, he informed. The chief minister also assured of looking into the demand of the people to set up a campus of Gauhati University at Bongaigaon.
Chief Minister Sonowal also assured to name Bongaigaon Engineering College after Vir Chilarai as per the wishes of the people of Bongaigaon. .
Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya while speaking on the occasion said that during election though the erstwhile Congress government promised to set an engineering college in Bongaigaon, even after several years, the previous government could not fulfill its promise. However, the BJP led dispensation as per its budget promise today laid the foundation stone of the engineering college in Bongaigaon in less than five months from the budget announcement. He also said that the construction of the college would be completed within two years and academic activities would also be started accordingly.
Former MLA of North Abhayapuri Bhupen Roy, DC Bongaigaon Babulal Sarma and a host of dignitaries were present in the meeting where Principal Secretary of Higher Education Department Manindra Singh delivered the welcome address.
