Guwahati: BJP in Assam on Tuesday said the Batadrava Than redevelopment project at the birthplace of Vaishnavite saint and great social reformer Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev in Nagaon reflects the govt’s commitment to safeguarding “jati, mati, bheti” (identity, land, and homeland).
The party accused Congress of neglecting Assam during its tenure in power, alleging that the state’s land was turned into a grazing ground for Bangladeshi infiltrators. In contrast, BJP govt, it claimed, has taken determined steps to rectify these issues.
Party spokesperson Kalyan Gogoi told the media, “Freeing satra lands from illegal encroachers across Assam and constructing the Batadrava Than redevelopment project at a cost of Rs 222 crore at the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev stand as shining examples of this resolve. While Congress kept Assam’s problems alive for decades, BJP has undertaken decisive, honest, and result-oriented steps to deliver lasting solutions.”
He added that Srimanta Sankardev had laid the foundation of the Assamese nation through his immense contributions, and the Batadrava project reflects his ideals. “The project stands as a living symbol of Assamese cultural heritage and self-respect. After freeing encroached land, the Abirbhab Kshetra has been constructed by integrating 162 bighas of land adjoining the Batadrava Than.
This will immensely benefit Assam in the days to come,” Gogoi said.
He said the CM Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP govt has been working relentlessly for the holistic development of Assam and the Assamese people.
“In recent times, Assam has been endowed with several landmark assets - the successful organisation of Advantage Assam 2.0, the world’s first bamboo-based bio ethanol project at Numaligarh, the Sati Radhika Peace Park under the Brahmaputra Riverfront project, the state-of-the-art Gateway of Guwahati ferry terminal at Panbazar, the fourth unit of the Namrup Fertiliser Plant with a production capacity of 12 lakh metric tonnes, backed by an investment of Rs. 10,000 crore and the globally acclaimed second terminal of the newly developed Gopinath Bordoloi Airport,” he added.
The spokesperson further said that the newly inaugurated Jyoti-Bishnu Auditorium is the largest auditorium in eastern India. “Equipped with world-class modern facilities and a seating capacity of 5,000, it has elevated Assam’s cultural landscape to a new height. By naming the auditorium after two towering cultural icons, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rava, the pioneers have been immortalised for generations to come,” he added.