GUWAHATI, 26 Jul: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has responded positively to the proposal of setting up the country’s third defence corridor in the state.
Sarma met Singh during his recent visit to New Delhi and discussed the issue of setting up of a defence corridor in the state after Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
”After the setting up of a semiconductor unit in the state, we are keen that it becomes a defence production hub and Singh has responded positively to the proposal,” Sarma said at a press conference here.
Sarma asserted that the proposal is under “advanced consideration” but it may take some time due to its sensitivity.
The chief minister pointed out that several factors need to be evaluated before a final decision is made, but establishing a defence corridor would significantly impact the state’s economic landscape.
Sarma noted also that, for the first time, the union budget acknowledged that Assam’s floods are exacerbated by water from outside the country. He highlighted that the Centre has expressed its readiness to provide comprehensive support to address this issue.
Sarma also met union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss funding for a satellite township near Guwahati, expansion of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation in Namrup, and the commissioning of its fourth unit.
The chief minister also met union Home Minister Amit Shah, who assured him that the issue of Aadhaar cards, which were blocked while taking the biometrics for updating the National Register of Citizens, will be resolved at the earliest.
He said that 9.23 lakh Aadhaar cards have been blocked and this has been causing immense inconvenience to people, particularly to students.
The chief minister said that, during his meeting with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, he requested a special train service from Guwahati to Lucknow to facilitate pilgrimages to the Ram temple.
He noted that over one lakh pilgrims from the state are eager to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya but are currently inconvenienced by the lack of a direct train service.
Additionally, the CM announced that the state government will soon introduce a domicile policy to ensure that local residents who are proficient in the state’s language are given preference in recruitment. Initially, this policy will apply to third and fourth-grade posts, with plans to extend it to other positions over time.
Sarma said that he has also discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the state’s request to recognise Assamese as a classical language.
He highlighted that, for the first time, the question paper for civil services examinations is being set in Assamese. Furthermore, the state government is considering implementing a mutual transfer system for Grades 3 and 4 employees, similar to the one existing for teachers.
The CM said that, according to economic survey data, Assam has emerged as one of the five fastest-growing states in the country. He expressed optimism that if this growth trend continues over the next six to seven years, Assam will become a leading developed state. (PTI)