Assam CM inaugurated an orphanage. Four years later, it reopens as a hotel

When Himanta Biswa Sarma became the Chief Minister of Assam in 2021, he launched several welfare and infrastructure initiatives across the state. 

One such project was the construction of a "Home for Orphans and Destitute Children" in Dima Hasao district, sanctioned with a budget of approximately Rs 3 crore under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) scheme.

On July 26, 2021, CM Sarma personally visited Boro Haflong to inaugurate the new facility. The complex included staff quarters and a vocational training centre, and was widely praised as a transformative step for children in one of Assam’s most underserved hill districts.

But just four years later, in a stunning twist, the very building meant to shelter vulnerable children has become a hotel.

Despite a high-profile inauguration, the facility remained shut for unexplained reasons. Sources say that no children were ever housed in the orphanage, though some internal modifications were carried out post-inauguration.

On July 14, 2022, the orphanage was quietly relocated to Cotu Wapu — a different location within Dima Hasao. The re-inauguration was carried out not by the chief minister, but by the then Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), Debolal Gorlosa.

However, far from being a viable alternative, the Cotu Wapu facility remains severely inadequate. Videos accessed by India Today NE show children living in makeshift conditions, deprived of basic necessities like clean drinking water and proper bedding — a far cry from the Rs 3 crore infrastructure originally promised.

In a shocking development, on July 27, 2025, the original Boro Haflong orphanage was re-inaugurated as “Hotel Hading,” a high-end commercial property. The ribbon was cut by none other than Debolal Gorlosa — the same official who had shifted the orphanage to Cotu Wapu just three years earlier.

This raises serious concerns: How did a public facility built with government funds for orphans become a private hotel?

Documents accessed by India Today NE confirm that the building was constructed for public welfare use under the NLCPR scheme, which mandates strict guidelines and approvals.

When contacted, Srimanta Kr Das, the then Deputy Commissioner of Dima Hasao, said he was unaware of how the orphanage was converted into a hotel — an admission that highlights serious administrative lapses.

What next?

Activists and civil society members in Dima Hasao are now demanding a high-level inquiry into the matter. As of now, there are no official investigations underway.

Despite multiple attempts, India Today NE could not elicit responses from Munindra Nath Ngatey, ACS, Deputy Commissioner of Dima Hasao, and Debolal Gorlosa, Chief Executive Member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council.

This story will be updated as and when they choose to respond.