Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation for several other projects in Guwahati on Thursday. The total cost of these projects is estimated to be Rs 1,777 crore.

According to the Chief Minister, these projects have been initiated in response to the growing need for a massive infrastructure push to make Guwahati the gateway to South East Asia. He went on to say that the government's goal is to complete these seven projects in two to four years.

Sarma stated that once these projects are completed, there will be several advantages. Because of the integrated DC's office and directorate complex, various wings of the government, including the police, will function in a systematic manner; second, the public will no longer have to rush from one office to another located far away; and third, traffic jams in the city will be reduced.

The Chief Minister performed bhumi pujan for the construction of an integrated directorate at Betkuchi at a cost of Rs 808 crore, a Guwahati police reserve campus at Panbazar at a cost of 544 crore, an integrated DC's office at Rupnagar at a cost of Rs 59 crore, a 5,000-seater international auditorium at Khanapara at a cost of Rs 185 crore, a Guwahati police commissionerate office at He also laid the groundwork for a new Raj Bhawan in Kharghuli, which will cost Rs 41 crore.

In reference to the integrated directorate complex, the Chief Minister stated that there are 46 directorate offices located throughout the city that will be consolidated into a single complex to streamline governance and benefit both the public and the officers involved. He stated that approximately 10,000 vehicles from across the state arrive at various directorate offices in the city each day, but that once the Betkuchi complex is completed, these vehicles will not need to enter the city at all.

Sarma stated that now that Guwahati is growing and hosting various national and international events, the time has come to move away from the system of arranging makeshift venues in various fields throughout the city.

Similarly, he stated that the Guwahati police commissionerate has been in operation for several years, but its various wings operate from separate locations, indicating the need for a unified complex.

The Chief Minister stated that all seven projects will be funded entirely by the state government, with no assistance from the federal government. He mentioned that the state government recently spent a fortnight developing various districts at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore. Also, the second phase of the development fortnight will begin from Bajali in the first week of February.

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