Guwahati, 09 June (HS): Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday night chaired a series of high-level meetings and stated that freeing government land from encroachment remains one of the state government's top priorities. He said that more than 200 square kilometres of land have been reclaimed from encroachers over the past five years.

Sharing details of the decisions taken during the meetings, the Chief Minister said that the government is now taking concrete measures to ensure that reclaimed land is not reoccupied in the future. He also directed key departments, including education, health and power, to identify important projects that can be brought under the Centre’s Viability Gap Funding (VGF) initiative.

Dr. Sarma said that leveraging the VGF scheme would accelerate infrastructure development in the state and improve the financial viability of major public projects, thereby strengthening Assam’s growth trajectory.

The Chief Minister further emphasized the need to enhance investment in agricultural infrastructure, support exporters of GI-tagged and organic products, and maximize the benefits of central government assistance. Highlighting the importance of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), he noted that the Centre has assured full support to Assam under the programme.

He also instructed departments to strengthen coordination among farmers, agricultural producers and other stakeholders to improve access to export markets. According to the Chief Minister, the initiative aims to increase farmers’ income while reinforcing Assam’s position in both domestic and international agricultural trade.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash