HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 19: Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday reviewed the preparations for the forthcoming 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Lachit Borphukan to be held in the national capital from November 23 to 25.
At a review meeting held at the conference hall of Assam House here, chief minister Sarma instructed the members of the Invitation and Reception Committee to start distribution of invitation cards from Sunday.
The chief minister also instructed the officials to make all arrangements for those coming from Assam by flight and train and to place buses and vehicles at airport terminals and railway stations to take them to their destinations. Help desks will be set up to guide the guests.
Accommodation related matters were also figured in the meeting, with the members of the accommodation committee apprising the chief minister about the bookings being made in different hotels for a little over 1,200 invitees from Assam.
The chief minister instructed Amtron to make the Lachit Borphukan portal a vibrant and lively one and incorporate all the events in connection with the year-long event. Amtron authorities briefed the chief minister that over 7 lakh write-ups have been uploaded on Lachit Borphukan App.
As there will be more uploading of write-ups in the next couple of days, the chief minister has instructed Amtron to put four more servers in place to enhance its capacity. The Amtron authorities informed the chief minister that they are trying to find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of entries on a great warrior.
The meeting was attended by ministers Atul Bora, Pijush Hazarika and Bimal Borah, MLAs and senior officials.
To perpetuate the memory of the legendary warrior, the chief minister announced that a 125-foot bronze statue of Lachit Barphukan will be built at a cost of Rs 175 crore at his memorial at Hollongapar in Jorhat district.
“It will be Assam’s glorious tribute to the legendary General whose heroics had saved our motherland from falling into Mughal hands,” the chief minister tweeted.
Following the Government of Assam’s initiative, the National Defence Academy at Pune will institute a medal after Lachit Borphukan to be awarded to the best cadet and will also hold a memorial lecture every year.
The state government has also taken up with the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) authorities in Hyderabad to name a building after Lachit Borphukan and to install a statue of the great warrior.
Later, on Saturday evening, the chief minister interacted with mediapersons from Assam and also national media on the upcoming event and the state government’s aim to glorify the heroic feats of the ever valiant general of Assam, who crushed the Mughals globally. He also spoke on the slew of initiatives taken by the state government to perpetuate the hallowed memory of the great warrior for posterity.