Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Assam Government is actively negotiating with the Defence Ministry for declaration of the adjoining areas of Guwahati towards Nagaon as defence corridor, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said on January 14.”The Assam Government is actively engaged in discussion with the Ministry of Defence for declaration of the adjoining areas of Guwahati towards Nagaon as defence corridor,” Dr.Sarma said, ahead of the Advantage Assam 2.0 – Investment and Infrastructure Summit 2025 to be held in Guwahati on February 25-26.
“There has been maximum deployment of the army in Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast. I want the third defence corridor in Assam, after Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. More than half of the ammunition of the defence forces is in the Northeast. Where there is demand, there should also be local supply,” the Chief Minister said, adding, “If any threat comes to the chicken neck, also known as the Siliguri corridor (which connects the Northeast with the rest of India), all the defence equipment should be available in Assam.”
Justifying the grounds for a defence corridor in his state, Dr.Sarma said, “Since there is always a strong presence of armed forces in the Northeast because it is strategically located bordering several countries, there is the utmost need for a defence manufacturing hub along with facilities to service military equipment, tanks and ordnance. The Centre is in active discussion with the state to declare a passage out of Guwahati to other strategic areas as a defence corridor.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Advantage Assam Summit 2.0′. Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is expected to attend it. Chief Minister, Dr. Sarma urged the Ambassadors, High Commissioners of ASEAN, BIMSTEC, European and other countries, industry captains and other stakeholders to come and invest in Assam.
In his keynote address to the diplomats from 36 countries, industry leaders and other stakeholders, Chief Minister Dr.Sarma said the State of Assam has been making rapid progress in infrastructure, health, education and other sectors in the past 10 years. He said new infrastructure projects are coming up in the state with three new additional bridges over the Brahmaputra, a satellite city around Guwahati with help from Singapore Government, railway line from Guwahati to Gelephu in Bhutan, among others
Underscoring the importance of green energy, the Chief Minister said that the thrust of the Government has been all along on clean and green energy and renewal energy. He said that the government desires that all industries coming up in Assam draw their energy from green power sources, including the Tata semiconductor plant at Jagiroad.
