Assam Cabinet approves Rs 300-crore sintex plant, Alannounces state civilian honours and major cash prize hike
New Delhi: The Assam government has cleared several key decisions in its latest cabinet meeting, ranging from a major industrial investment in Rangia to revised cash rewards for prestigious state honours. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared details of the new projects, upcoming award ceremonies, and the complete list of recipients chosen for the state’s civilian honours.
On the industrial front, the cabinet approved an investment project worth Rs 300 crore in Sintex manufacturing company at Rangia. The plant is expected to create around 300 direct and indirect employment opportunities for local youths, marking a steady step forward in the state’s push towards manufacturing growth.
Alongside industrial development, the state has sharply increased the prize money for its top cultural recognitions. The cash prize for the prestigious Srimanta Sankardev Award has been hiked to Rs 15 lakh, while the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Award will now carry a prize purse of Rs 10 lakh.
State civilian awards announced
The state government also finalised the recipients of the Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav awards for their exemplary contributions across various sectors. The Assam Saurav honours will be conferred upon Harsha Bhattacharjee, wildlife expert Dr. Kushal, Padma Shri Nuruddin Ahmed, Shri Pulak Banerjee, and noted Hargila conservationist Dr. Purnima Devi Barman.
Meanwhile, the Assam Gaurav awardees include Devi Prasad Bagrodia, footballer Halicharan Narzary, blind cricketer Simu Das, palm oil grower Harakanta Basumatary, manuscript conservationist Danjit Talukdar, Nivedita Yen, Mayang Chakraborty, agri-entrepreneur Jiten Sarang Fangsa, Tanumaya Sonar Biswakarma, and tourism contributor Dig Pal Lahon. Among organisations, NGO Kalong Kopili and FPO Padum Pothar Agro Producer Company Limited were named for the honours.
The 2025 awards are scheduled to be presented this December, while the 2026 honours will be handed over in January.
National award in New Delhi and political remarks
The Chief Minister also shared details regarding the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika National Award, which will be conferred posthumously upon legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. The ceremony is scheduled for November 29 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend and present the award. Set to be conferred once every three years, the national award carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh along with a citation, aiming to recognise standout contributors in music and cinema.
Speaking to reporters on political developments, Sarma backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks against the Congress party, claiming the opposition stands exposed before the public.
“Yes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is absolutely right. Congress seems to have only one product to present before the country Rahul Gandhi. Despite repeated failures, the party continues to relaunch him, hoping for a different outcome. However, the product remains the same, and the relaunch attempts continue to fall short. After each setback, Rahul Gandhi reportedly takes a break abroad for a cooling-off period, only to return and be relaunched by the Congress once again. This cycle has been continuing for years,” Sarma said.
“In a particular interview, You keep launching your product again and again. It fails every time, yet you never get tired of relaunching the same product in the market. The one launching it never gets tired, but the customers get tired of watching it repeatedly. Eventually, after a few days, he himself gets tired and heads abroad for a cooling-off period. Then he returns, and the cycle of relaunching the same product begins all over again,” he added.