Assam cabinet approves Welspun Group's investment proposal to set up manufacturing unit in Rangia

Guwahat: Assam cabinet approved an investment proposal from Weetek Plastic Private Limited (Welspun Group) for setting up its manufacturing unit in Rangia, Kamrup district with a proposed investment of Rs 303.69 Crore.

The State Cabinet has approved the notification of the Assam Mineral Regulation and Dealers (Amendment) Rules, 2026 amending the Assam Mineral Regulation and Dealers (Amendment) Rules, 2020. This amendment categorizes extracted limestone into distinct grades—such as high, medium and base cement grade—across Category 1, Category 2, and Category 3. This ensures the government collects proportional royalties based on the quality of the limestone rather than a single flat rate.

The State Cabinet approved Election rules for the Mising Autonomous Council and the Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council. The State Election Commission has been advised to conduct the elections for both councils within the month of November.


The State Cabinet has approved the institution of a National-Level Award namely ‘Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Award’ to honour personalities having outstanding contributions to Music and Culture at the national level and perpetuate the legacy of the Bard of the Brahmaputra. It will be conferred once every three years to an internationally or nationally recognized figure in music, arts or cinema. The inaugural award, which includes a citation and a cash prize of 10 lakh rupees, will be presented to renowned singer Usha Mangeshkar, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Indian music and her association with Hazarika's musical works. The award will be presented at the concluding ceremony of Bhupen Hazarika's birth centenary, which will take place in New Delhi on November 29.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma chaired a meeting of the Centenary Celebration Committee at Lok Sewa Bhawan, Dispur, and reviewed preparations for the grand finale of the year-long celebrations commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. The grand finale will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, on November 29, 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest, pay tribute to the legendary cultural icon and present a newly instituted National Award namely ‘Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Award’ in honour of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika.

The grand finale is expected to bring together around 5,000 admirers, distinguished guests and cultural enthusiasts from across the country. The event will showcase the remarkable artistic legacy and multifaceted genius of Dr. Hazarika, whose music, poetry and humanist philosophy have transcended geographical and cultural boundaries.

Renowned singers of like Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghoshal will also pay a musical tribute to the maestro, celebrating his enduring contribution to India's cultural heritage.

The Chief Minister sought suggestions from members of the committee on making the grand finale a memorable and befitting tribute to the legendary artiste. He stressed on the need to design the event in a manner that would further elevate Dr. Hazarika’s artistic legacy and introduce his timeless creations and universal message to a wider international audience.

Dr. Sarma underscored that the culmination of the year-long celebrations must reflect the stature of a cultural icon whose creative genius has enriched Assam and the nation alike. He stressed the importance of taking the Bard of the Brahmaputra’s enduring message of humanity, harmony and universal brotherhood to future generations, while strengthening global recognition of his contributions to music, literature and culture.

It may be noted that the grand finale is envisioned as a landmark occasion celebrating not only Dr. Hazarika’s extraordinary contributions to India's cultural landscape but also his enduring legacy as a voice that transcended borders and united people through the universal language of music and humanity.

Initiating a digital leap towards transparent and efficient forest governance, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today, launched the Employee Transfer Randomization System (ETRS), an online portal for the transfer of the employees of the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at a programme held at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Dispur.

Sarma said that the State Government has taken steps to bring in transparency to the transfer process following transparent, fair and merit based appointments. Over the past two years, several thousand employees seeking mutual transfers were transferred through the Swagat Satirtha portal.

He said that the Forest Department has introduced a system of transfers through online randomisation. Hailing the department, the Chief Minister observed that the online employee transfer randomization would improve employees’ efficiency. He, therefore, asked every government department to adopt a transfer system like that of the Forest Department.

Commenting that the State Government has been successful in reducing encroachment in Assam’s forest areas, Sarma said that eviction drives are continuing. Recently, more than 600 hectares of forest land have been freed from encroachment. Advocating the creation of a database of forest land that remains encroached upon, the Chief Minister said that afforestation should begin immediately on land cleared of encroachment so that Assam’s green cover can be expanded. Although rhino poaching has been eliminated in the state, Sarma urged the Forest Department to give equal importance to protecting other wildlife species.

The Chief Minister also advised the Forest Department to focus on increasing revenue collection. He said that the State Government has been making efforts to enhance the department’s revenue by amending various laws and regulations. However, royalty and revenue collection in the Forest Department has remained stagnant at approximately Rs 700 crore over the past three years.

Urging the department to plug loopholes that resulted in revenue losses, Sarma said that the demand for stone and sand has led to illegal trade, from which the Forest Department received no revenue. To curb such illegal activities and increase revenue, the department needed to legalise stone quarries and sand mining sites, which are running illegally.

Citing an example, Sarma said that approximately Rs. 1 lakh crore would be spent on the construction of national highways in Assam. If the stone required for road construction cannot be supplied by legally authorised quarries, some people would procure it through illegal quarries. However, if the stones are supplied from quarries licensed by the Forest Department, the government would earn revenue, and many unemployed young men and women would also gain employment. He, therefore, advised the department to prioritise the creation of legal sources for stone, sand and other construction materials.

Stressing the importance of continuously monitoring forest areas through satellite imagery to prevent encroachment, the Chief Minister said that if encroachment can be detected at its initial stage, large-scale eviction drives involving bulldozers can be avoided. Observing that operating bulldozers was not something any Chief Minister would take pleasure in, he said that protecting forest areas is the responsibility of the government, as nothing would survive if forests disappeared.