Himanta pays tribute to Assam’s first CM, harps on devpt

Guwahati: A day after taking oath for a second consecutive term as chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with his cabinet colleagues, paid floral tribute to Assam’s first CM Gopinath Bordoloi at his memorial in the city on Wednesday.

Sarma said his govt is committed to ensuring the security and development of the state while fulfilling the promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto in “letter and spirit”.

After paying the tribute at the Nabagraha Shantisthal at Guwahati’s Silpukhuri, which was his first official programme, he said, “Before formally commencing work, our govt has paid a visit to the memorial of Bharat Ratna Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi to seek his blessings and reaffirm our commitment to Assam’s security and development. He was the architect of modern Assam and dedicated his entire life to safeguarding and developing Assam.”

He said Bordoloi had tirelessly worked to safeguard Assam and its people both before and after Independence. “We paid our tributes with the hope that our vision of taking Assam to greater heights will be realised,” the CM said.

“The govt will function with a positive approach, keeping the security and development of Assam, its people, and the nation as its foremost priority. This is a continuation of the previous govt, and we will continue to work with full dedication,” he said. The CM said the focus will now shift to fulfilling the promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto. “With the elections over, the time for speeches has ended. People now expect delivery,” he said.

Referring to Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony, Sarma said the presence of PM Narendra Modi, Union ministers, chief ministers from both NDA and non-NDA states, industrialists, and spiritual leaders underscored Assam’s growing prominence on the national stage.