Assam - The Purbottar

16 May

Chief Minister Launches India’s First Digital AI-Driven Bank Branch in Guwahati

Paromita EditorAssam

Taking a major leap in the digital and AI ecosystem, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today inaugurated India’s first AI-powered “phygital” banking branch of Slice Small Finance Bank at GS Road in Guwahati.It may be noted that this next-generation banking space blends physical and digital services seamlessly through AI-enabled self-service kiosks, paperless cash deposits and withdrawals, and streamlined digital onboarding. The branch is designed to make banking more accessible, and inclusive for customers across segments, combining physical trust with digital convenience. Through an expanding physical presence and robust digital infrastructure, the bank will reportedly extend access to responsible credit, savings,…

16 May

Himanta Says July Budget Will Reflect Poll Promises

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the first full-fledged annual Budget of the new state government, expected to be presented in July, will lay out the administration’s development plans and policy priorities for the next five years.Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at Batadrava Than in Nagaon district, the Chief Minister said the Budget session of the Assam Assembly is likely to begin on July 5 or 6.Sarma said the annual Budget could not be presented earlier in February or March because the state was preparing for the Assembly elections.“The upcoming Budget will reflect our government’s plans and…

16 May

Heavy Rain Triggers Flooding in Parts of Assam

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

More than 23,000 people have been affected by urban flooding in different parts of Assam following heavy rainfall over the past few days, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of more rain and thunderstorms across several districts in the state.Officials said urban flooding has been reported in Kamrup (Metropolitan), Cachar and Sribhumi districts, disrupting normal life in many low-lying areas. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), four revenue circles and 12 villages have been inundated due to continuous rainfall. A total of 23,619 people have been affected by the flooding across the three districts.Cachar district…

16 May

Road Accident Leaves Nagaon Murder Case Accused Hurt

riya EditorAssam

The prime accused in the Nagaon robbery and murder case, Rajibur Rahman, was severely injured after the police van carrying him met with a road accident late last night. Both his legs appeared to be badly injured. He is currently undergoing treatment in hospital. Rajibur and four others robbed the house of Dr Ranjit Saikia and Ruprekha Bhuyan. They brutally assaulted the couple, which resulted in Ruprekha death in hospital after remaining in coma for 16 days. “She left behind her young son, who cries in her memory every day,” her husband said, expressing satisfaction over the incident and his…

15 May

Pensioners’ Team Submits Memorandum to Assam MP Over Central Health Scheme

Paromita EditorAssam

A nine-member delegation of the All-India Services Pensioners Cell, Assam-Meghalaya Cadre, Assam unit, met MP, Darrang-Udalguri parliamentary constituency and Assam BJP president, Dilip Saikia, and submitted a memorandum on pressing issues concerning the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) in Guwahati.The delegation was led by Paramesh Dutta, president, All India Services Pensioners Cell, Assam-Meghalaya Cadre, Assam Unit, Guwahati and Devajyoti Hazarika, secretary.The memorandum highlighted demands for upgrade of Guwahati from Tier-II to Tier-I under CGHS as a special case, strengthening of Wellness Centre infrastructure, creation of specialist posts, immediate filling of vacancies, and coverage of AIIMS, Guwahati under CGHS.MP Saikia assured…

15 May

India’s First Satellite-Tagged Ganges Softshell Turtle Released in Kaziranga

Paromita EditorAssam

In a first for India, the country’s first satellite-tagged Ganges softshell turtle was released in the Kaziranga NationalPark.The release coincided with Endangered Species Day.Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called it a major step for wildlife conservation."Marking #EndangeredSpeciesDay, the country’s 1st satellite-tagged Ganges softshell turtle was released in @kaziranga_, a major step for wildlife conservation. A proud moment for Assam as we continue to protect every species that calls our forests home," Sarma posted on X.The Ganges softshell turtle is a freshwater reptile whose distribution is largely restricted to the Ganga, Indus and Mahanadi river systems in northern and eastern…

15 May

Union Minister Shares Video of Hoolock Gibbon Using Canopy Bridge Across Railway Track

Paromita EditorAssam

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav today shared a video on X of a hoolock gibbon using canopy bridge to cross a railway track in Assam, and described it as a watershed moment in gibbon conservation in the country.He captioned the post as "Innovation-led conservation!", and wrote, "Good to see that mitigation measure such as this canopy bridge made over a railway passing through Assam has started being used by hoolock gibbon.This shows science-led small-scale efforts can also be of great help in biodiversity conservation."The railway line shown in the video traverses the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary…

15 May

Assam Assembly Gets New Pro-Tem Speaker as Chandramohan Patowary Sworn In

riya EditorAssam

Former minister and senior BJP leader Chandramohan Patowary was on Friday sworn in as the Pro-tem Speaker of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath during a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Guwahati in the presence of ministers, legislators and senior government officials. Notably, Patowary’s oath-taking as Pro-tem Speaker comes days ahead of the commencement of proceedings of the newly constituted Assam Legislative Assembly. As Pro-tem Speaker, Patowary will oversee the initial proceedings of the Assembly, including administering oath to newly elected MLAs and supervising the election process for the Speaker of the…

15 May

Himanta Biswa Sarma government announces key portfolio changes after 2026 poll victory

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Senior BJP leader Chandramohan Patowary is set to take oath as the Pro-tem Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly on May 15, ahead of the first sitting of the newly constituted House following the 2026 Assembly elections.According to official sources, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya will administer the oath to Patowary during a ceremony scheduled at Raj Bhavan at 11:30 am on Friday. As Pro-tem Speaker, Patowary will preside over the initial proceedings of the Assembly, including the swearing-in of newly elected MLAs and the conduct of the election for the Speaker of the House. The appointment is considered a…

15 May

Advantage Assam 2.0 Gains Momentum as 60% Proposals Near Rollout

riya EditorAssam

More than 60 per cent of the investment proposals announced during Advantage Assam 2.0 had reached advanced stages of implementation, with several projects already becoming operational, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Thursday. Sarma took stock of the progress of key development projects across sectors stating that the state government was closely monitoring the execution of proposals worth over Rs 5 lakh crore that were committed during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit held in February last year. “Today, I examined the status of these projects and I’m happy to report that over 60% of investment commitments are in…