The Assam government has authorised the transfer of 3,000 bighas of land from Doloo Tea Estate in Cachar district to the Airports Authority of India for the development of a greenfield airport near Silchar. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 7 December, confirming that the latest allocation includes an additional 500 bighas beyond the 2,500 bighas previously set aside for the project. The move is intended to advance the state’s bid for Union Cabinet approval, marking a significant step toward establishing Silchar’s first dedicated civilian airport.
Sarma stated that the proposal for a new airport became necessary as expanding the existing defence airport at Kumbhirgram was not viable due to operational constraints and heavy air traffic. The land acquisition process, involving workers of Doloo Tea Estate, had earlier drawn controversy after the then Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the Centre had not received an official proposal from Assam. It was later clarified that the process had begun on the basis of AAI’s request. The episode led to protests by tea garden workers, although the government maintained that no homes or jobs would be affected.
In 2022, the government distributed financial assistance to 1,296 families of Doloo Tea Estate as a goodwill measure, part of the ₹50 crore earmarked for workers of Doloo, Lalbagh and Mainagarh estates. Despite these assurances, resentment resurfaced in June this year when members of the Asom Mojuri Shramik Union demanded either the return of the acquired land or alternative land to continue tea cultivation following the completion of a public hearing.
At the briefing, the Chief Minister also outlined a series of other cabinet decisions. Under Mission Basundhara, land allotment for 1,200 families has been approved, strengthening the government’s grassroots land rights efforts. The cabinet cleared a joint aerospace and engineering project at Assam Engineering College in collaboration with Dassault Systems India Pvt Ltd. The project, spread across 5,000 square feet and costing ₹243 crore, will offer specialised courses in aerospace, defence, automotive engineering and electric vehicles. Dassault will invest ₹200 crore, with the state contributing ₹43 crore.
Administrative approval has also been granted for Assam’s second Sainik School, which will be built at Longvaku in Karbi Anglong at a cost of ₹335 crore. The project will be funded in an 80:20 ratio by the Ministry of Defence and the state government. The cabinet has further sanctioned compensation for 884 families affected by land acquisition for the construction of a four-lane national highway in Dima Hasao district.
In addition, the Assam Logistics and Warehousing Policy, 2025, has been approved to boost the state’s prospects as a logistics hub. The cabinet has also decided to introduce compulsory teaching of Assam’s history and geography in classes 6, 7 and 8, following recommendations of the high-level panel headed by Justice (Retd.) Biplab Kumar Sharma for implementing Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
