Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 14 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday inaugurated and laid foundations for several important development projects worth around Rs 340 crore for the people of the districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Sribhumi.

He further accelerated the development journey of the Barak Valley, dedicated the State Secretariat, Barak Valley, Silchar, to the service of the people of Barak Valley at a function held at Silchar

It may be noted that the development projects inaugurated in Cachar district today are the vital bridges, cultural centres and key infrastructure, alongside Assam Secretariat, Barak Valley, and Silchar for bringing governance and growth closer to the people.

The Secretariat complex has been constructed on 15 bighas of land, covering an area of 18,585 square metres, and was completed within 36 months.

The project includes several buildings, such as the Secretariat building, an auditorium building, a guest house, the Chief Minister's residence, officers' quarters, and quarters for Grade-III and Grade-IV employees.

The Secretariat building houses offices of various departments, while the sixth floor contains offices for the Chief Minister, the Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister and the Minister of the Barak Valley Development Department.

The auditorium has a seating capacity of 747 people, and the complex has been aesthetically developed with features such as a main entrance gate and a clock tower.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said that the state government has been continuously working for the development of Barak Valley and described the day as historic in the region's development journey.

'For a long time in a diverse state like Assam, the centre of decision-making and development was largely confined to Guwahati. However, during the present government's tenure, priority has been given to ensuring balanced development and administrative decentralisation across every area of the state. A session of the Assam Legislative Assembly was held in Kokrajhar, and a new Secretariat has been established in Dibrugarh along with the ongoing construction of an Assembly complex there,' the Chief Minister said.

He said he felt fortunate to inaugurate the new Assam Secretariat in Silchar.

The Chief Minister further stated that these buildings are not merely infrastructure, but part of a broader effort to decentralise administration by delegating more powers to the district and co-district levels.

'As a result, ordinary citizens will no longer have to travel long distances to district or state headquarters to access to government services,' he said.

He emphasised that the government's guiding principle is that the government should reach the people, rather than the people having to go to the government.

'The new Secretariat will bring the state administration closer to the people of the three districts of the Barak Valley,' he said.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Silchar Convention Centre at Shilkuri in the Borkhola Assembly constituency.

Built at a cost of about Rs. 15.6 crore on a campus area of several bighas of land, the centre includes a conference hall with seating for 142 people, guest rooms, an entrance lobby, presidential lounge, VIP lounge, media room and parking facilities for about 80 vehicles.

He said that the centre would help address the long-standing need for a proper venue to host meetings, seminars, training programmes and similar events in and around Silchar.

The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stones for three important projects in Cachar district. These include a road widening project from Birbal Bazar to Silchar Medical College Point costing Rs13.14 crore, a three-storey Burn Unit at Silchar Medical College and Hospital, and the construction of a modern wholesale fish market in Cachar under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana with a project cost of Rs. 25 crore.

Further, the Chief Minister virtually inaugurated several projects for Hailakandi district, including Hailakandi Circuit House, built at a cost of Rs 12.65 crore, the new building of Government VMHS School, Hailakandi, built at a cost of Rs 7.67 crore, and a multi-storey Youth Hostel at the Hailakandi District Stadium constructed at a cost of Rs 2.98 crore.

He also laid foundation stones for several projects in Hailakandi district, including the construction of a number of bridges with a total project cost of Rs. 50.65 crore.

Moreover, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stones of several projects for the Sribhumi district. In Patharkandi of Sribhumi district, an 800-seat auditorium and cultural centre will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 22.89 crore.

He also laid the foundation stones for several bridges in the Sribhumi district with an estimated cost of about Rs. 30 crore. These bridges will be constructed on various routes, including the Patharkandi-Hazarichak road, over the Longai River.

Similarly, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for a five-storey co-district office building at Patharkandi to be constructed at a cost of Rs. 19.42 crore.

He also laid the foundation stone of a Primary Health Centre at Sonakirat to be built at a cost of Rs. 2.42 crore.

The Chief Minister said that the State Government has been consistently working for the overall development of the Barak Valley and its people. The various projects undertaken by the government will further accelerate the development journey of the three districts and help position Assam among the most developed states of the country.

Minister of Barak Valley Development Department Kaushik Rai, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Krishnendu Paul, Members of Parliament Parimal Suklabaidya and Kanad Purkayastha, several MLAs, Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion. (ANI)