Majuli, the world’s largest river island district of Assam, witnessed a major wave of development initiatives as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth Rs 2,218 crore. The Chief Minister also distributed seed capital cheques to 31,952 women entrepreneurs, marking one of the largest financial outreach programmes for women in the district.
Addressing a large public gathering, Sarma said that Majuli had never before seen development work on such a wide scale. He stated that the new projects would strengthen administration, education, connectivity, and cultural infrastructure, while also creating opportunities for local people, especially women and youth. According to him, the aim of the government is to ensure that development reaches remote and riverine districts in the same way it reaches urban areas.
A major highlight of the event was the inauguration of the new academic building and girls’ hostel of Majuli Cultural University. Built at a cost of Rs 51 crore, the three-storey academic building has the capacity to accommodate 1,880 students. The building includes classrooms, administrative offices, staff rooms, and other academic facilities. The girls’ hostel, a four-storey structure, can accommodate 178 students and is expected to support the growing number of female students pursuing higher education in the district. Officials said that the new facilities would help the university expand its academic programmes and attract more students from different parts of Assam.
Administrative infrastructure in the district also received a significant boost. The Integrated District Commissioner’s Office at Garamur, constructed at a cost of Rs 24.83 crore, was inaugurated during the programme. The new office complex is expected to bring several district-level departments under one roof, making government services easier and faster for the public. In addition, the new District Transport Officer’s Office, built between Garamur and Kamalabari at a cost of Rs 3.57 crore, has been completed to improve transport-related services in the region.
The government also strengthened higher education facilities in Majuli with the completion of a Government Model Degree College constructed at a cost of Rs 33.17 crore. Spread across 30 bighas of land, the college campus includes three academic blocks, a girls’ hostel, faculty quarters, residences for Grade III and Grade IV staff, and official quarters for the Principal and Warden. Education officials said that the new college infrastructure would help improve access to quality higher education for students from the river island and nearby areas.
Cultural heritage preservation was another important focus of the development programme. The Dakhinpat Satra Museum, constructed at a cost of Rs 3.64 crore, was inaugurated to showcase the rich cultural traditions of the region. The museum includes exhibition halls, audio-visual rooms, study spaces, and a strong room for preservation of valuable artefacts. Authorities said the museum would serve both as a tourist attraction and a centre for research and cultural learning. In addition, a three-storey office building for the Senior Superintendent of Police at Garamur was completed at a cost of Rs 4.20 crore, while the Jyoti Bishnu Cultural Complex auditorium, constructed at Rs 1.25 crore, was also opened to support cultural programmes and community events.
Connectivity projects formed another major part of the development initiative. The state government upgraded the road connecting Balichapori in Majuli to Bongaonmara in Lakhimpur, improving travel between the river island and the mainland. Two important bridges over the Lohit and Subansiri rivers were also completed to strengthen transportation links. Among them, the 702.30-metre bridge over the Lohit River at Selekghat was inaugurated during the event. Officials said the bridge would reduce travel time and improve the movement of goods and passengers, which is expected to benefit trade, tourism, and daily commuting.
The Chief Minister also launched the reconstruction of the long-pending Majuli–Jorhat bridge project, which had remained stalled since September 2024. He expressed confidence that the revived project would significantly improve year-round connectivity between Majuli and Jorhat once completed, making transportation easier for residents and boosting economic activities.
Apart from infrastructure projects, the government placed strong emphasis on women’s economic empowerment. During the programme, seed capital assistance of Rs 10,000 each was distributed to 31,952 women beneficiaries. The Chief Minister said that the financial assistance was part of a larger initiative aimed at helping women build small businesses and income-generating activities. He noted that the support programme would continue in phases, with the goal of enabling women entrepreneurs to gradually increase their income and achieve “Lakhpati” status in the coming years.