NEW DELHI/GUWAHATI, April 19: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and invited him to inaugurate the yearlong birth centenary celebrations of music maestro Bhupen Hazarika.
During the 20-minute meeting at the prime minister’s official residence, Sarma also invited Modi to inaugurate the Assam bio-ethanol plant and lay the foundation stones for two major infrastructure projects — the Rs 5,700 crore Guwahati Ring Road project and the Darrang Medical College and Hospital, according to an official release.
“The Hon’ble Prime Minister has agreed to grace these important occasions on September 8,” Sarma said.
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Hazarika was born on September 8, 1926, and the Assam cabinet had recently decided to hold a year-long celebration of the Bharat Ratna awardee’s birth centenary. Events across India, release of Hazarika’s biography, and a commemorative coin, among others, have been planned.
“It was my privilege to meet Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji in New Delhi today,” Sarma later posted on X. “I had the honour of inviting him to Assam as the Chief Guest for the inaugural ceremony of the year-long celebration of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary.”
The Chief Minister added, “I also took the opportunity to request his gracious presence for the inauguration of the Assam Bio-Ethanol Plant, with a production capacity of 49 KTPA ethanol, using 300 KTPA bamboo as feedstock.”
Assam Bio Ethanol Private Ltd (ABEPL), the first bio-refinery in India to produce fuel-grade ethanol from bamboo biomass, is a joint venture between Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) and two Finnish companies, Fortum and Chempolis Oy.
“In addition, I also requested him to lay the foundation stones of two key infrastructure projects — the Rs 5,700 crore Guwahati Ring Road project and the Darrang Medical College and Hospital,” Sarma said.
He conveyed his “heartfelt thanks to Modi for accepting the invitations.” (PTI)
