Guwahati, May 04, 2024, IANS

Guwahati, May 4 (IANS) Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said that Guwahati -- considered gateway to the northeast -- received a major boost during the BJP government's tenure, adding the city was neglected when Congress was in power in Assam.

Addressing a public meeting here to garner support for the BJP candidate in Guwahati, Bijuli Kalita Medhi, Union Minister Sonowal said: "For long, the significance of Guwahati was not acknowledged by the successive Congress governments as they ignored the city along with the rest of the northeast as a remote, distant, and backward area of the country.

"No sincere attempt was made to make the city part of the national narrative and make the people active actors of India's growth story. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took it as a challenge and implemented the groundbreaking 'Act East' policy with Guwahati at its heart to turn the northeastern region as the growth engine of new India's economic resurgence," he said.

The Union Minister further said that Guwahati, acting as a catalyst of growth for the entire northeast, has been receiving unprecedented investments which has led to correction of many fundamental issues of the city.

According to Sarbananda Sonowal, Guwahati is poised to grow as South Asia's premier trade hub under PM Modi's visionary Smart City initiative.

Highlighting a major achievements of the BJP-led governments in the city, the Union Minister said: "With huge investment in healthcare, the city boasts of a series of avenues that is going to offer state-of-the-art healthcare solutions for not just the residents of the region, but also act as major healthcare centre for the larger South Asia region, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal."

According to him, landscape development like the Brahmaputra Riverfront Development, the development of Amrit Sarovars, or rejuvenating Bharalu, Bahini and Mora Bharalu rivers of the city will play a major role towards upgrading the quality of the city as well as the quality of living for the citizens of the country.