Assam BJP banks on infrastructure, jobs and healthcare to pitch development record

The Assam BJP has highlighted a series of infrastructure, education, healthcare and employment initiatives undertaken over the past five years, citing the proposed Delhi-Guwahati bullet train corridor as one of the major developments.

In a statement issued on November 3, BJP media panelist Dharmakanta Gogoi said the Centre had approved the extension of the Northern Bullet Train Corridor to Guwahati. The proposed route is expected to connect Guwahati with Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna and Siliguri, with the journey between Delhi and Guwahati expected to take less than eight hours.

The statement also cited an allocation of Rs 11,486 crore for the Northeast Frontier Railway in the Railway Budget and the operation of the Vande Bharat Express between Guwahati and New Jalpaiguri.

Among other major infrastructure projects mentioned were the Guwahati Ring Road, Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, proposed Brahmaputra underwater tunnel, Numaligarh Bio-Ethanol Project and Guwahati-Silchar High-Speed Corridor.

On the industrial front, the BJP said the state government was working towards its target of developing Assam into a USD 30-billion economy. District-level land banks are being developed to facilitate industrial establishments and attract investments.

The statement also highlighted the government's education and employment initiatives, claiming that 75 model schools and 21 model residential schools had been established in tea garden areas. Fourteen new polytechnic institutions have also been set up, while 55 industrial training institutes have been modernised.

It further claimed that 1.64 lakh government jobs had been provided over the past five years through recruitment processes, with the government targeting two lakh additional employment opportunities in the next phase.

The Nijut Moina scheme and the expansion of the PM-POSHAN programme, which now covers 37.47 lakh children, were also cited as key education-related initiatives.

On healthcare, the BJP pointed to the government's plan to establish a medical college in every district and upgrade 4,000 health sub-centres. It also mentioned a proposed investment and development plan of Rs 50,000 crore for the health sector.

The statement said master plans had been prepared for 102 towns, while GIS-based mapping systems had been introduced in 74 towns. More than Rs 4,000 crore had also been invested in urban infrastructure, including drinking water supply and solid waste management.

Land rights initiatives, including the distribution of land pattas to tea garden workers and measures to safeguard land rights in autonomous council areas, were also highlighted.

The BJP said these initiatives reflected the state government's development agenda and expressed confidence in the continuation of its infrastructure and economic growth plans.