Assam CM inspects zoo, housing, cultural projects in Guwahati

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Tirtha at Jalukbari, where he paid tribute to the legendary music maestro and announced plans to develop the memorial into a vibrant year-round cultural destination. He also reviewed major infrastructure projects at the Assam Police Reserve campus and the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden.

During his visit to the Samannay Tirtha, the Chief Minister held discussions with officials of the Cultural Affairs Department and the Public Works Department on upgrading the complex. He said the memorial would be redesigned to better reflect the life and legacy of Bhupen Hazarika.

The proposed revamp will include the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to provide immersive experiences, allowing visitors to interact with the artiste’s life and music through digital platforms. An open-air stage will also be constructed, while a government committee will be formed to manage the complex and organise cultural programmes throughout the year, in addition to events on Hazarika’s birth and death anniversaries.

Later, Sarma inspected the ongoing redevelopment of the Assam Police Reserve campus at Paltan Bazar. The project, estimated to cost around `600 crore, will provide residential accommodation for more than 600 police personnel, including inspectors, sub-inspectors and constables. The campus will also house a school, temple, namghar, playground, press conference hall and administrative office. A separate residential building for 42 police officers is also being constructed at Panbazar.

The Chief Minister also reviewed the modernisation works at the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden, a Rs 360-crore project aimed at improving visitor amenities while creating more natural habitats for wildlife. He inspected the under-construction veterinary hospital, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre, and museum before chairing a review meeting with officials of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department and the Public Works Department in the presence of Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah.

Sarma directed that the veterinary hospital be developed in consultation with leading veterinary experts and asked officials to examine the feasibility of introducing an internal train service to improve visitor convenience.

The Chief Minister also reviewed the condition of three rescued red pandas currently undergoing rehabilitation at the zoo after being rescued from wildlife traffickers earlier this year. Officials said nearly 27 per cent of the zoo modernisation project has been completed.