Guwahati has been transformed with numerous welcome banners, freshly painted road dividers, and clean streets in anticipation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Assam. Shah’s schedule includes discussions about preparations for the upcoming state assembly elections with party leaders, along with attending a panchayat members’ meeting. The assembly elections are set for early next year. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that Shah will not address the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections during his visit, as those are considered local matters. However, the minister will focus on the party’s strategies for the assembly election in a core committee meeting at the state headquarters on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of his guidance.
Shah is expected to arrive in Guwahati on Thursday evening, where he will participate in the state BJP’s core committee meeting, followed by a dinner with party leaders. On Friday, he will inaugurate the newly built Raj Bhavan and lead a convention for NDA panchayat members. He will also take part in the birth centenary celebration of former Chief Minister Golap Borbora and review the progress of the Jyoti-Bihnu Cultural Project in the city.
Golap Borbora, notable as Assam’s first non-Congress chief minister, was arrested during the Emergency period in 1975 for opposing Indira Gandhi’s government. After spending 18 months in Tihar Jail, he became president of the Janata Party’s state unit in 1977. Under his leadership, the party won 53 seats, leading to his unanimous election as chief minister in 1978, although his government lasted only 18 months. Borbora also served as a Rajya Sabha member from 1968 to 1974.
During the panchayat convention, Shah is anticipated to discuss the Assam government’s initiative to form cooperative societies in each panchayat, aimed at utilizing vacant government lands for agricultural, farming, or dairy purposes to prevent encroachment. Chief Minister Sarma announced this initiative on August 1, highlighting the responsibility of these cooperatives in managing government land to avert encroachment. According to state government reports submitted to the Gauhati High Court, approximately 2.9 million bighas of land are under encroachment, with about 100,000 bighas already reclaimed.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/city-decked-up-polls-panchayat-co-op-on-agenda-as-shah-visits-today/articleshow/123550314.cms
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Publish Date: 2025-08-28 05:44:00
