Assam CM Inaugurates Barak Valley Secretariat In Silchar, Launches 19 Development Projects

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday, March 14, inaugurated the Assam Secretariat for Barak Valley at Srikona on the outskirts of Silchar and also launched 19 development projects for the region.

The inauguration took place shortly after the conclusion of Narendra Modi’s public programme in Silchar earlier in the day. With the opening of the new administrative building, the long-standing demand of the people of Barak Valley for a local secretariat facility has been fulfilled.

The secretariat has been established in Srikona to serve the three districts of the Barak Valley — Cachar, Sribhumi, and Hailakandi. Several important departments of the Assam government will function from this building, aiming to decentralise administration and bring government services closer to the people.

The project was originally proposed during the tenure of former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as part of efforts to decentralise governance. Sonowal had laid the foundation stone for the secretariat on March 3, 2019.

Constructed at a cost of Rs. 116 crore, the main objective of the secretariat is to reduce Barak Valley’s dependence on Dispur and ensure faster administrative functioning through digital file movement.

Speaking from the newly inaugurated building, Chief Minister Sarma said, “This is simply an extension of the Assam Secretariat. All our work is e-filed, and no matter where officers are sitting, work can be done via e-file. Now Barak Valley people won’t have to go to Dispur as files can move from here to Dispur within 10 minutes. Files from Guwahati for the directors of Barak Valley-related work can move from Dispur to Silchar in the same manner. That’s why instead of doing a mini secretariat, we made it into a full secretariat. In Dibrugarh, we did an Assembly, and here we did a secretariat — that is the only difference.”

Along with inaugurating the secretariat, the Chief Minister also virtually inaugurated 19 development projects for Barak Valley from the same venue.

The event was attended by the Chief Secretary of Assam, ministers Kaushik Rai and Krishnendu Paul, along with several BJP MPs and MLAs from Barak Valley.

Addressing the press after the inauguration, the Chief Minister said, “Today is a historical day for Barak Valley. PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the express corridor, and the contractor will reach here within two days to start the work, as the tender process has been completed. The foundation stone of the Silchar flyover was also laid, and the contractor is ready to begin work immediately.”

He further announced that an Agriculture College will be constructed at Patharkandi, and the tender process has already been completed. According to him, the contractor will soon begin work on the project.

The Chief Minister also stated that a convention centre has been inaugurated at Silcoorie, while Hailakandi has received a newly constructed Circuit House.

He further informed that the foundation stone of an 800-seater auditorium has been laid in Patharkandi, construction of a new fish market in Silchar has begun, and the widening of the road leading to Silchar Medical College and Hospital has also been initiated. A burn unit has additionally been sanctioned for the medical college.

According to the Chief Minister, development projects worth around Rs. 318 crore have either been inaugurated or had their foundation stones laid on Saturday.

Sarma also inaugurated a Model Women’s College in Sonai and a training institute for Grade III and Grade IV staff of the Assam government at Silcoorie.

Calling it a “happy day for Barak Valley,” the Chief Minister noted that earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi had also sanctioned development projects worth over Rs. 24,000 crore for the region.