HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 5: Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma participated in the Lok Kalyan Diwas celebration at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati on Saturday. The event commemorates the death anniversary of Bharat Ratna Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi, the first chief minister of Assam.
On this occasion, the government of Assam recognises state government employees who have displayed exceptional dedication in their duties by honoring them with Lok Sewa Awards (for non-gazetted employees) and Karmashree Awards (for gazetted employees). This year, 75 non-gazetted employees and six gazetted employees have been selected for these prestigious awards.
Addressing the gathering, chief minister Sarma highlighted the importance of August 5 as Lok Kalyan Divas to pay tribute to Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi and his contributions to strengthening the Assamese community. He praised Bordoloi as an architect of modern Assam, a great freedom fighter, and an insightful politician who made immense contributions to the state during his lifetime.
CM Sarma emphasised that government officials and staff are pillars of public services and play a crucial role in the implementation of pro-people policies. He honored dedicated employees with Lok Sewa and Karmashree awards to motivate them to continue their dedicated service. Recipients of Lok Sewa Awards also receive an extension of their service period as recognition of their exceptional contributions.
Chief minister Sarma acknowledged Bordoloi’s role in preserving the unique identity and culture of the Assamese community by opposing the Cabinet Mission’s Grouping Formula. He also praised Bordoloi for securing the rights of the indigenous population of the state and acknowledged Lok Kalyan Divas as a source of motivation for the residents of Assam to learn about the great leader’s life, works, political ideology, and personality.
Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi actively participated in the nation’s freedom struggle and was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s political ideology and works. He dedicated his life to the betterment of Assam and its residents.
“As chief minister, Bordoloi made sincere efforts to protect the indigenous ethnicities of the state from the migrant Muslim population and secure grazing reserves and reserve forests from illegal occupation. The creation of tribal belts and blocks in the state was also one of his significant achievements,” Himanta said on the occasion.
CM Sarma further praised Bordoloi’s firm action in evicting migrant Muslims from government land during his term as chief minister and compared it to the current government’s actions. He emphasised the importance of government officials and staff in ensuring the smooth implementation of pro-people policies and announced the establishment of a Lok Sewa Adhikar Aayog to expedite public services delivery.
The event was attended by Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, panchayat & rural development department minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, education minister Ranoj Pegu, water resources department minister Pijush Hazarika, labour welfare department minister Sanjay Kishan, and Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi’s son Bolin Bordoloi, among others.
