ON THE lines of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the Assam Government has planned Maa Kamakhya Corridor. “The Rs 600 crore project will be a reality soon,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam. He was interacting with the visiting journalists from Maharashtra at his residence in Guwahati, on Saturday. Appreciating the cultural ties between Maharashtra and Assam, Sarma informed the journalists that even Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, was a big devotee of Maa Kamakhya. “When he was here the last time, I had requested to him to allot land for Kamakhya Temple and Namghar in Mumbai. He had assured co-operation. However, I could not visit Maharashtra. Now, I am reviving the talks. Shinde has promised me that he would allot land,” Sarma added. Similarly, in Assam, the State Government is making a grand Maa Kamakhya Corridor on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and Mahadev Mahalok Corridor.

 

The project is shaping up at the cost of around Rs 600 crore, said Sarma. It may be mentioned here that under the proposed Maa Kamakhya Corridor, the temple’s surrounding area will expand from 3,000 sq ft to about 1,00,000 sq ft across three levels. There are three major components of the project – ‘Pravesh Prangan’ (entry corridor), ‘Maa Chhinnamasta Prangan’, and Maa Kamakhya Prangan. Under the project, the corridor will widen from 8-10 feet at present to around 30 feet. Six major temples in the Kamakhya complex will be restored to their old glory. Already, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the project as a ‘landmark initiative’. The shops and old residences along the congested road leading to Maa Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill near Guwahati, will have to be removed to pave way for widening. As part of a conscious effort to strengthen the cultural bond between Assam and Maharashtra, Sarma said that shows of Marathi mega-drama ‘Jaanata Raja’ based on life and contribution of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would be organised across Assam to make people aware of history.

 

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had resisted the Mughals successfully. Around the same time, Lachit Borphukan also had resisted the Mughals in Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advised me to watch the show of ‘Jaanata Raja’, and do something similar to highlight the contribution of Lachit Borphukan. Hence, we have decided to organise shows of ‘Jaanata Raja’ to inspire people in Assam,” said the CM. Asked about the changes that have taken place in Assam under his leadership, Sarma replied, “I believe responsibility and accountability both go hand-in-hand. I have asked the officers to transfer their subordinates, and there shall be no interest evinced from political circles. Also, the officers have been empowered to do their job, with accountability. It is simple.

 

We want results, and rest has been entrusted to the officers.” Regarding the stress on improving Assam’s health infrastructure since his days as Health Minister of the North-Eastern State, Sarma said that it was being improved further. People from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar go to Thailand etc for surgeries and other procedures. “Our effort is to offer to them Assam as an option in healthcare sector,” he stressed. Himanta Biswa Sarma, wearing his usual broad smile, discussed role of development in boosting peace in Assam, demand for setting up Maharashtra Bhawan in Assam, and strides in healthcare and education sectors, as well as efforts to attract investors. Jaydevi Pujari Swami, Deputy Director, Press Information Bureau (PIB), Mumbai; Pavni Gupta, Deputy Director (M&C), PIB Guwahati, were present during the interaction.