Barak Valley’s industrial future depends on land availability, says CM Sarma
He said Deputy Commissioners of the valley’s three districts have been tasked with identifying suitable land;
CM Sarma during the foundation stone-laying ceremony of SM Dev Civil Hospital’s new 50-bed Critical Care Unit in Silchar on Tuesday. (AT Photo)
Silchar, March 18: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has highlighted that the industrial growth of Barak Valley hinges on the availability of land.
Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a new 50-bed critical care unit at SM Dev Civil Hospital on Tuesday, the Chief Minister informed that Deputy Commissioners of the three districts in the valley have been tasked with identifying land suitable for industrial ventures.
“The entire issue now rests on land availability. We do not want to get embroiled in any controversy related to land acquisition. Our focus is on determining the quantum of land we can offer to investors and business houses from Barak Valley,” he told The Assam Tribune.
His remarks come in amidst criticism from the Opposition, particularly the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), which has accused his government of sidelining Barak Valley during the recently concluded “Advantage Assam 2.0: Investment and Infrastructure Summit”.
AITC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Susmita Dev, on March 3, had lashed out at the government for failing to highlight Barak Valley’s trade potential at the summit.
Despite securing investment commitments worth nearly ₹5 lakh crore, she claimed that the region’s strategic significance for trade with Southeast Asia was ignored.
Earlier in the day, addressing the centenary celebrations of Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama in Silchar, the Chief Minister outlined a series of development initiatives for Barak Valley.
He announced financial assistance of ₹9 crore for the Sevashrama, including ₹5 crore for an upcoming hospital on its premises.
Additionally, he confirmed the construction of a new ₹23.75 crore critical care unit and a ₹26 crore circuit house on the outskirts of Silchar, adjacent to the upcoming integrated office of the District Commissioner.
“Once these administrative offices are relocated outside the municipal limits, traffic congestion in the city is expected to ease significantly,” Sarma noted.
He further revealed plans for a new 200-bed facility at the Civil Hospital and assured that preliminary work for the long-awaited Silchar flyover is in its final stages, with local cooperation playing a key role in its execution.
