Bhagadatta II flyover opens, CM champions homegrown talent, announces new projects

Guwahati, July 6: The city added another flyover to its expanding network on Sunday with the official inauguration of the Bhagadatta II flyover at Rukminigaon.

After nine months of construction—and amid numerous traffic snarls, delays, and disruptions—the flyover was opened to the public by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Addressing the gathering after the inauguration, the Chief Minister announced a series of upcoming development projects and championed homegrown talent, describing the new flyover as a testament to the strength of indigenous expertise.

“To ease traffic congestion in the Downtown area, we awarded a contract last year to Anil Das Construction Pvt. Ltd. to build a 660-metre flyover. The timeline was 18 months, but I’m proud to say that an Assamese youth-led team completed it in just 9 months,” he said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with dignitaries at the inauguration ceremony. (Photo:@CMOfficeAssam/X)

 He also praised the engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD), saying they embodied the talent and energy of Assam’s youth.

“Under the supervision of a team of indigenous professionals, this project was completed well ahead of schedule,” he added.

The Chief Minister highlighted Guwahati’s growing role as a regional employment hub, saying, “Today, 10 lakh youths are employed in this city. Guwahati now offers professional opportunities to the entire Northeast—just like Mumbai and Ahmedabad do for the West, Delhi for the North, and Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore for the South.”

Sarma also announced that a wave of call centres are expected to set offices in the city soon. “I’ve been informed that several call centre companies are keen to open offices here. In Tech City near Borjhar, three such centres have already come forward,” he said.

Speaking about one of his personal aspirations for the state’s youth, the Chief Minister expressed his desire to curb migration.

“I dream of a future where no Assamese youth has to leave the state to work as a security guard. I want to work for those who have little—not for those who already have everything. That’s the kind of Chief Minister I want to be,” he said. 

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with Cabinet Minister Atul Bora. (Photo: @CMOfficeAssam)

Among the slew of announcements was an update on the Guwahati Airport expansion. “The new terminal will open in November. And let me tell you—people will come to Guwahati just to see the airport,” he said.

The Chief Minister also assured that an elevated corridor between Jalukbari and the airport would soon become a reality.

“I met Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari a few days ago, and let me tell you—this year itself, construction will begin on the elevated corridor. Once completed, it will cut travel time between Jalukbari and the airport to just three minutes,” he said.

In a parallel development, a group of citizens staged a demonstration near a bus stop along the route to the new flyover.

Holding a large banner, they demanded urgent relief from the perennial water-logging problem in the Rukminigaon area and called for waterlogging-free roads.

A group of residents of Rukminigaon staging a silent protest. (AT Photo)