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Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008
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World class university for Assam

Sushanta Talukdar

Manmohan announces package for Assam, northeast

Guwahati: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday announced that the Centre would set up a world class university in Assam for which the State government would provide the land.

An official release issued by the Press Information Bureau said Dr. Singh also announced that under the proposed Centrally sponsored scheme for ‘Model School,” every block in Assam would get one such school.

The release said the Prime Minister reviewed the entire gamut of issues concerning the development, security and welfare of the people of Assam with the Chief Minister and prominent members of his Cabinet and announced a package of measures for the all-round development of the State.

As announced by Dr. Singh, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways will take up construction of the Ohola-Sadiya bridge, which will be completed by 2013. The Numali-Gohpur bridge, linking Jorhat and North Lakhimpur, will also be taken up and completed by March 2013 for which the State government will finalise the alignment and provide land at the earliest. The North Guwahati-South Guwahati link will be completed by December 2010.

The Centre will provide assistance for setting up a centre of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology in Assam and will set up a National Institute of Design in Guwahati on the pattern of the NID in Ahmedabad.

Dr. Singh promised that the North East Industrial Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP) would be suitably reworked so as to provide maximum advantage and the Centre would assist Assam in setting up a State Skill Development Mission to encourage employment and skill development among the youth.

Two India Reserve Battalions will be raised and deployed for riverine policing. The Centre will help to train them and provide specialised equipment. The Border Security Force (BSF) will provide fixed Border Outposts to strengthen riverine patrolling.

The Central government will provide additional assistance of Rs. 250 crore for the integrated development of the Bodoland Territorial Copuncil (BTC). Insofar as other autonomous Councils of the North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong are concerned, the State will submit a plan for the integrated infrastructure development, to be funded from the Rs. 500 crore corpus recently announced by the Union Finance Minister for infrastructure development in the northeast.

Flood control measures for and integrated development of Majuli will be accorded high priority and adequate funds will be provided for the purpose.

A high level monitoring group, with representatives of the Central government, the State government and the Satradhikars (head of Vaishnavite monasteries), will be set up to guide the process. An allocation of Rs. 20 crores as Additional Central Assistance for Majuli will be made available.

Dr. Singh announced that the Central government would set up a Science City in Guwahati together with the Planetarium, to give a boost to science education in the State and the entire northeast and would assist the State government in establishing a State-level University of Science and Technology as well as a Law School and Judicial Academy.

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