Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (Photo: twitter@himantabiswa)
Guwahati, July 13 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the state has been witnessing an unprecedented run of development and economic growth since the BJP came to power at the Centre.
Sarma said this while addressing the delegates to the National Executive Committee Meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) at Guwahati on Wednesday.
This is for the first time that FICCI's national executive meeting has happened in Assam since the establishment of the industry body in 1927.
Addressing the interactive session, the Chief Minister, expressing his gratitude towards FICCI for choosing Guwahati as the location for its National Executive Committee Meeting, exuded confidence it would aid in the upward economic growth trajectory that the state has been following for the past few years.
"Assam has been witnessing a never-before-seen spell of peace, progress and prosperity on all fronts since 2014. Statistics prove that the state has been making rapid strides on all fronts," he said, adding that within a period of two years, Assam is likely to dislodge Punjab as the 16th largest state in terms of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
Sarma stated: "There has been a considerable increase in the state's public and capital expenditures."
The state's tourism sector has also witnessed unprecedented levels of growth in the past couple of years, he said.
Sarma further said that FICCI choosing Guwahati as the location to hold its Executive Committee Meeting is also an indication that the largest city in the Northeast is now the fulcrum of growth in the region.
Speaking about the initiatives the state government has been taking to create an industry-friendly ecosystem here, the Chief Minister said the work is underway to bring in a customised industrial policy that would take into consideration specific needs and requirements of industries on a case-by-case basis that would be a departure from the current policy of one-size-fits-all.
He also spoke about the government's actions aimed at bringing transparency in the governance process, adding that these actions have also benefited the industrial sector too.
