Amit Shah to visit Assam on Jan 30, lay foundation of 2nd Assembly in Dibrugarh
The Urban Affairs Minister said Shah will also roll out a flood mitigation model involving 14 ponds to store excess water
Amit Shah addressing a gathering at Bordowa during his last visit on Dec 29 . (Photo:@CMOfficeAssam/X)
Dibrugarh, Jan 21: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Assam again on January 30, barely a month after his last trip to the state, State Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika said on Wednesday.
Speaking to the press while reviewing preparations for the visit in Dibrugarh, Hazarika said Shah will lay the foundation stone of Assam’s second Legislative Assembly complex in the city and inaugurate 14 ponds and reservoirs aimed at flood mitigation.
The minister said the visit assumes significance in the context of the state government’s plan to develop Dibrugarh as Assam’s second capital.
“Since the Chief Minister has pronounced Dibrugarh as the second capital of the state, a second Assembly complex is required,” Hazarika said.
He added that the construction of a ministers’ colony, an MLA colony and the Speaker’s residence would be taken up in a phased manner.
During the visit, Shah is also expected to address a public meeting, which Hazarika said, estimate could draw around one lakh people.
On flood mitigation, Hazarika recalled a proposal made by the Union Home Minister nearly two years ago to create ponds and reservoirs to tackle recurring floods in the state.
“There was scepticism initially, but after detailed discussions and departmental studies, it has been found that creating large ponds, lakes or reservoirs to store excess water can help reduce the Brahmaputra’s water level. The stored water can later be used for irrigation,” he said.
According to Hazarika, for the model to be effective, Assam would require a number of such ponds or reservoirs.
“As a beginning, we are starting with 14 ponds and reservoirs, for which a little under Rs 7 crore has been sanctioned. The tender process has been completed, and districts such as Dibrugarh, Sadiya and Jorhat will see their construction,” he said, adding that Shah will inaugurate the projects centrally on the same day.
The initiative follows Shah’s pitch in June 2024 for the creation of 50 large ponds across the Northeast as part of a broader flood mitigation strategy.
The proposal had drawn criticism from some experts, who argued that the region already has thousands of natural water bodies and that restoring existing beels should take precedence over creating new ones.
Shah last visited Assam on December 29, when he inaugurated several major infrastructure and cultural projects, including the Jyoti–Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir, a new Police Commissionerate building and an integrated command and control centre aimed at strengthening urban security.