Guwahati, Feb 20: Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 20 underscored the growing importance of Barak Valley in Assam’s development trajectory and India’s Act East policy, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah prepared to launch the nationwide Vibrant Village Programme II from Cachar.
In a post on X, Sarma referred to the upcoming Barak Valley Secretariat and said the decision to launch the programme from Cachar reflected the region’s increasing prominence. He remarked that the area, once considered overlooked, had now emerged as an important part of Assam’s development perspective as well as the national Act East vision.
Highlighting ongoing infrastructure initiatives, the Chief Minister spoke of an expressway project that would reduce travel time between Guwahati and Silchar to around five hours. He reiterated that the “Double Engine” government remained committed to ensuring equitable development of both the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys.
The remarks came amid a politically charged atmosphere ahead of the Assembly elections in Assam. On February 19, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi unveiled a 20-point “chargesheet” against the state government at Guwahati’s Manvendra Sharma Complex.
The document was prepared by a committee led by MP Pradyut Bordoloi following consultations across the state with grassroots organisations, indigenous communities, business representatives and intellectuals. It alleged that the BJP-led government had fostered a “syndicate raj” in Dispur, shielded illegal rat-hole mining operations for illicit funds and allowed Assam to become a transit hub for smuggled drugs and banned goods through porous borders.
APCC president Gaurav Gogoi said Priyanka Gandhi had directly engaged with public grievances through a Screening Committee, signalling the Congress party’s election focus. Bordoloi stated that five teams had toured the state to compile the allegations.
With elections approaching, the BJP’s development narrative and the Congress’s sharp critique have set the stage for an intensified political contest in Assam.
