Guwahati, Feb 13: In a major development push for Assam’s river island district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth ₹2,218 crore in Majuli, while distributing seed capital cheques to 31,952 women entrepreneurs.
Addressing a public gathering, the Chief Minister said Majuli had not witnessed such an extensive scale of development in the past, asserting that the initiatives would transform the district’s administrative, educational and cultural landscape.
Among the key projects inaugurated were the academic building and girls’ hostel of Majuli Cultural University, constructed at a cost of ₹51 crore. The three-storey academic block can accommodate 1,880 students and houses the offices of the Vice Chancellor and Registrar, along with staff rooms and allied facilities. The four-storey hostel has a capacity of 178 students.
The Integrated District Commissioner’s Office at Garamur was built at ₹24.83 crore, while the District Transport Officer’s Office between Garmur and Kamalabari was completed at ₹3.57 crore. A Government Model Degree College, spread across 30 bighas and constructed at ₹33.17 crore, includes three academic blocks, a girls’ hostel, faculty quarters, residences for Grade III and IV staff, and official quarters for the Principal and Warden.
Cultural infrastructure also received a boost with the inauguration of the ₹3.64 crore Dakhinpat Satra Museum, equipped with audio-visual rooms, exhibition halls, a strong room and study spaces. At Garamur, a three-storey office for the Senior Superintendent of Police and the Jyoti Bishnu Cultural Complex auditorium were constructed at ₹4.20 crore and ₹1.25 crore, respectively.
To strengthen connectivity, the state government upgraded the road from Balichapori in Majuli to Bongaonmara in Lakhimpur and constructed two bridges over the Lohit and Subansiri rivers. The 702.30-metre bridge over the Lohit River at Selekghat was inaugurated on Thursday. Sarma also launched the reconstruction of the Majuli–Jorhat bridge project, which had remained stalled since September 2024.
In a significant outreach to grassroots entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister distributed ₹10,000 each as seed capital to 31,952 women beneficiaries. He said the assistance marked the beginning of a broader initiative aimed at supporting women until they achieve “Lakhpati” status, highlighting the government’s focus on women-led economic empowerment.
