Bengaluru/ Guwahati, Oct 16 Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday urged people from Assam living outside to act as ambassadors of the Northeastern state and promote its investment potential.
Inaugurating the newly-constructed Assam Bhawan in Bengaluru’s Ramohalli, he said the facility was the outcome of a long and challenging journey, reflecting the state government’s commitment to the welfare of its people.
“The building is not only a symbol of cooperation between the people of Assam and Karnataka but also represents the state government’s commitment to its people,” he said.
“Assam Bhawan is much more than a government guesthouse, as it will serve as a meeting place and a home away from home for students, patients, government officials and other people from Assam visiting Bengaluru,” he added.
The Rs 71.24-crore project comprises a four-storey building constructed on a 16,249-square-metre plot. It houses seven suites for distinguished guests, 26 mini-suites, 36 double-occupancy rooms and a 26-bed dormitory for students and other visitors, a statement said.
The facility also has residential units for state government officials, five conference rooms, a large dining hall, a restaurant, a banquet hall, exhibition facilities, a library, a gymnasium and indoor games facilities, it said.
Sarma said the state government had acquired 5 acres of land in the Bheemanakuppe Cross area in 2008 for constructing the guest house. However, the project was cancelled in 2016 after the land was found to be classified as agricultural.
In 2018, when he was state’s public works minister, discussions with the Karnataka government led to the necessary approvals for changing the land classification. Construction resumed in May 2022 and was completed in three years, he said.
“I would like to thank the Karnataka government for resolving all the issues and enabling the completion of the building,” Sarma said.
He also thanked local MLA ST Somashekar, who represents the Yeshwanthpur constituency, for his cooperation in the project.
The Assam government has been constructing Assam Bhawans at important locations across the country to provide accommodation for people from the state travelling for various purposes.
Such facilities are currently located in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Shillong, Chennai and Vellore.
Sarma announced that two more Assam Bhawans, one in Delhi’s Dwarka and another redeveloped on Sardar Patel Marg, would be inaugurated in November and December, respectively. Land has also been acquired for another such building in the national capital.
“Construction is underway on a new building in Mumbai to replace the existing facility used by cancer patients, another building at Mumbai Port and a new facility on Russell Street in Kolkata,” he said.
The chief minister said the state government had written to the respective governments seeking land for new Assam Bhawans in Ahmedabad, Gaya and Pune. It had also requested the Karnataka government to provide another plot for an integrated cultural project.
Meanwhile, 16 states have proposed setting up their guest houses in Guwahati, and the Assam government has initiated the process of allotting land for these projects, he added.
Sarma expressed hope that the new facility would strengthen ties between the Assamese community in Karnataka and the state government.
He said Assamese residents in Bengaluru would also be able to organise cultural and other community programmes at the building, which would have a restaurant serving Assamese cuisine.
Assam minister Keshab Mahanta was also present at the inauguration.
(PTI News)
