GUWAHATI, Oct 23: The Assam Cabinet on Friday approved a ₹303.69-crore manufacturing unit under the Sintex brand in Rangia, cleared election rules for two autonomous councils and named veteran singer Usha Mangeshkar as the first recipient of the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Rashtriya Award.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decisions after the Cabinet meeting at Lok Sewa Bhawan. The proposed unit, to be set up by Welspun Group’s Weetek Plastic Pvt Ltd in Kamrup district, is expected to generate employment for around 300 people. The Cabinet also approved amendments to facilitate the investment.
The government has instituted the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Rashtriya Award to mark the birth centenary of the legendary Assamese singer-composer and recognise outstanding contributions to fields associated with his artistic legacy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to present the inaugural award to Mangeshkar during the closing ceremony of Hazarika’s centenary celebrations at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on November 29. The award carries a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a citation and will be conferred once every three years.
The programme will include a 45-minute award ceremony and an hour-long musical tribute to Hazarika. Singers Shreya Ghoshal and Shankar Mahadevan, along with artistes from Assam, are expected to perform. Around 1,000 children will sing Hazarika’s iconic song Manuhe Manuhor Babe, while the event is expected to draw approximately 5,000 people.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to the Assam Mineral Regulation and Dealers Rules, introducing separate classifications for extracted limestone based on quality, including high, medium and base cement grades across three categories. The revised framework will allow royalty collection to be linked to the grade of limestone rather than a uniform rate.
In another decision, the Cabinet cleared election rules for the Mising Autonomous Council and the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council. Sarma said the State Election Commission had been directed to conduct elections to both bodies in November.
The Cabinet also finalised the recipients of the Assam Baibhav, Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav awards for 2025. The honours could not be presented last year and are scheduled to be conferred in December.
Dr Harsha Bhattacharyya, president and founder trustee of Srimanta Sankaradeva Nethralaya, has been selected for the Assam Baibhav, the state’s highest civilian award, for his contribution to eye care and healthcare services.
Wildlife expert Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma, Padma Shri awardee Nuruddin Ahmed, singer Pulak Banerjee and greater adjutant stork conservationist Dr Purnima Devi Barman are the four recipients of the Assam Saurav.
The Assam Gaurav will be awarded to 12 recipients, including footballer Holicharan Narzary, visually impaired cricketer Simu Das, chess grandmaster Mayong Chakraborty, manuscript conservationist Dhanjit Talukdar and NGO Kolong Kopili. Podum Pathar Agro Organic Producer Company Ltd has also been selected.
Sarma said the recipients of the 2026 civilian awards would be announced within a month, with the honours scheduled for January 2027. A Cabinet sub-committee comprising ministers Keshab Mahanta, Ajanta Neog, Ranoj Pegu and Jayanta Mallabaruah oversaw the selection process.
