Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah today laid the foundation stone for the new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly in Dibrugarh and inaugurated and performed ground-breaking ceremonies for five development projects with a combined cost of approximately ₹1,715 crore.
The event was attended by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, and other senior officials.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said the decision to develop Dibrugarh as Assam’s second capital reflects the government’s commitment to inclusive governance. He recalled that the announcement was made by Chief Minister Sarma in 2025 and said the foundation stone for the new Legislative Assembly complex has now been laid on 57 bighas of land. With this, residents of Dibrugarh will also be considered residents of the state capital, he said.
Shah said Assam’s rivers are central to its culture, economy and agriculture, and highlighted steps taken to mitigate floods in the state. He said the Ministry of Home Affairs has allocated ₹692 crore in the first phase for the development of 15 large wetlands, which will help protect around 7.5 lakh people from floods, irrigate nearly 77,000 hectares of land, improve groundwater levels and support agriculture, animal husbandry and tourism.
Referring to India’s international engagements, the Home Minister said the free trade agreement signed between India and the European Union under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would directly benefit Assam. He said the deal would allow Assam’s tea to reach European markets, from Paris to Berlin, at zero tariff.
Shah said the Modi government has placed Assam and the Northeast at the centre of its development agenda, whether in infrastructure, railways, waterways, airports, industry, wildlife conservation or emerging sectors such as semiconductors. He said the Prime Minister gives special priority to the region at every opportunity.
Highlighting the security situation, Shah said Assam and the Northeast have witnessed a transformation over the past decade. He said that earlier the state was associated with curfews, bomb blasts and violence, but today peace has returned, with over 10,000 youths laying down arms under more than 20 peace agreements. He said the region now resonates with cultural pride, citing the global recognition of Bhupen Hazarika, who was conferred the Bharat Ratna.
The Home Minister also targeted previous governments, alleging that infiltration was allowed for vote-bank politics. He said the Assam government has freed over 1.26 lakh acres of land from encroachment and asserted that infiltrators altering the state’s demography would be identified and removed. He said only the present government has the will to protect Assam’s demographic balance and national security.
Shah said significant economic progress has been made in the past five years, with Assam’s Gross State Domestic Product rising from ₹4.1 lakh crore to ₹7.2 lakh crore. He said youth incomes have increased substantially and that peace and development go hand in hand.
On welfare measures, Shah said the Land Holding Amendment Act passed in 2025 has enabled more than three lakh tea garden workers from Santhal, Kol, Bhil, Munda and Bengali communities to become landowners. He also noted that the biography of Lachit Borphukan has been translated into 23 Indian languages.
The Home Minister inaugurated the first phase of a multi-disciplinary sports complex in Dibrugarh, built at a cost of ₹238 crore over 106 bighas. The complex includes an indoor stadium, swimming pool, football ground, tennis and basketball courts, player hostels and coaches’ accommodation. He also laid the foundation stone for the second phase of the complex, estimated at ₹209 crore.
In addition, Shah laid the foundation stone for a residential project for legislators and for a Wildlife Research Institute, to be built at a cost of ₹292 crore. He said the institute would focus on disease surveillance, research, diagnosis and capacity building, and would cater to wildlife and birds, with advanced facilities for scientific and genetic research.
Shah also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, recalling his role in awakening the nation and securing India’s freedom.
