GUWAHATI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government had organised the Namami Brahmaputra festival in March 2017.
As soon as the government came into power in 2016, transport department led by minister Chandra Mohan Patowary decided to organise the first-ever river festival in Guwahati claiming that the festival would pour investments to the state.
He also claimed that the festival will be organised every year. But it seems the festival might not be organised any further.
A highly-placed source in Dispur talking to G Plus said, “Namami Brahmaputra may not be organised anymore as some ministers in the government are not happy with the festival.”
The source revealed that some politicians in the ministry are totally against the festival as according to them the festival did not help Assam in any way but rather drew various controversies.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari had announced Rs 40000 crore for a 1300-km-long express highway in northeast along the banks of river Brahmaputra. The minister had asked the state government to start the land acquisition work. It was also announced that the sand and the soil would come by dredging Brahmaputra from Sadia to Dhubri.
The source revealed that nothing has started till now regarding such promises. He also said that some prominent ministers in the state government have realised that some of the promises will be difficult to meet and hence organising such festivals will only bring criticism.
A source in Dispur revealed that the state government has not yet initiated any feasibility study or preparation for any detailed project report. The source also said that even the centre did not start any such study or initiative.
Commissioner and Secretary, transport department, Ashutosh Agnihotri said that no discussion regarding organising of Namami Brahmaputra has yet been discussed.
In 2017, during the launch of the theme song, transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowari had said that the Namami Brahmaputra festival was planned in such a way that people across the world would understand that Assam has such a powerful river which can be used for the benefit of the region.
He had said that the state government was in talks with the central government to dredge the river from Sadiya to Dhubri and further it will be connected to the Chitagong port in Bangladesh. After which the waterways will be cleared and bi-lateral trade through waterways will be started as the cost of transportation through water will come down heavily.
He had said that once the trade routes are opened Assam will become one of the major trading hubs in Asia and people will be interested to come to Assam to do business.
In early 2018, the state government had also organised the Advantage Assam which again was about bringing investments to Assam. The state government is yet to reveal how much investment came to Assam from both Namami Brahmaputra and Advantage Assam.