At the end of every year and the beginning of a new one, I, like most of you, take a silent pledge to improve upon my achievements of the year gone, muse on various perspectives and try to internalise them. As I write this, it is my feeling that a New Year is a time for a fresh departure for all of us.
At the beginning of this month, I met Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to invite him to inaugurate Advantage Assam 2.0. Modi ji, who is a strong believer in the North East’s potential and loves the region, took no time in accepting this invitation. This encouragement was good enough for us to read the signs. I instinctively felt that the New Year will be Assam’s year to make things happen. Encouraged by the acceptance of the Prime Minister, I called on several Union Ministers to seek their support and participation in the February 2025 event which, I feel, has the potential to change Assam’s destiny. My Government has been very proactive on this. We have already dispatched a number of delegations to various cities in the country to invite industrial houses and potential investors. Despite organizing roadshows, meetings, and promotional events, I, for one, feel that unless you build a personal rapport with investors, apprise them of your sincerity and your vision, it will be difficult to get them invested in your State. In this modern age, where space and geography do not matter as much as they did some 20-30 years ago, investors have multiple options to choose from. State Governments around the country are making a beeline for them to join hands or come to their State and invest. So, why is it that they will be interested in Assam or for that matter any other State. I feel that it is the Trust that the Government cultivates in the eye of the investors or corporates that they choose one place over the other. Yes, industrial policy, incentives, and natural advantages are some of the compelling reasons why investors prefer a State to others, but it is the enabling atmosphere, law and order and personal touch that are key determinants to bring investment to the State. At times, we have to ‘concede’ more than we initially plan to, but then we know that if direct investments are made in a State it has social and economic benefits which go beyond this mundane give and take equation. For example, the Tata Semiconductor assembly unit has the potential not only to change the face of Assam, but also India. They will not only generate employment, direct and indirect, they will also send signs to other investors that All is Well in Assam.
Last month, I was also invited by the Royal Government of Bhutan to be part of their National Day celebrations on December 17. I took the opportunity to participate in a roadshow in Thimpu to tell potential Bhutanese investors and partners that we are ready to embrace you with both arms. The idea was also to deepen the socio-economic, political and historical ties with Bhutan. I am sure that this will enhance not only people-to-people ties with our neighbour but also result in increasing economic exchanges between the two countries. Assam is well poised to take advantage of all the economic development that will result in Bhutan because of some of the most ambitious developmental approaches to be ever undertaken by the Royal Kingdom. As we move towards the event in February, positive news will continue to emerge in the State.
I am a firm believer that any Government will have limitations in providing jobs to its teeming millions. Unless the Government welcomes private investors, it will find it difficult to address the aspiration of its youthful population. So, laying the red carpet for industry and investors is now among the foremost responsibilities of Governments across the country. The socialist mindset of the era gone by has no place in a developing Bharat.
Yet, we have not jettisoned our duty towards our people. The programme 12 days of development from December 11 to December 23 was geared to provide our populace with all the support that is needed to make life meaningful. Spread across multiple departments, this drive has benefitted lakhs. The feedback that I have is that people have appreciated the way benefits have percolated to those in need.
As promised, I was in Dibrugarh city for three days in December to meet people from all walks of life, listen to their grievances, address them where possible and direct officials to ensure continuity in providing them assistance. I am pleased to note that the very purpose for which the new CM Secretariat was conceived and built in Dibrugarh is serving its purpose. Though these are early days, I can assure you that it will save people time and resources while bringing our Government closer to them.
I wish you all a very Happy New Year.
