Assam's Karimganj district to be renamed Sribhumi: CM Himanta

Guwahati: The Assam government on Tuesday decided to change the name of Karimganj district in the Barak Valley to Sribhumi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet, Sarma said at a press conference here.

"Over 100 years ago, Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore had described modern-day Karimganj district as Sribhumi - the land of Maa Lakshmi. Today, the Assam cabinet has fulfilled this long-standing demand of our people," he said.

The move to rename the district will reflect the expectations and aspirations of the people of the district, Sarma said.

"We will continue to change names that do not have any dictionary reference or any other historical evidence. We have been doing this for a long time and it is a continuous process," the CM said.

Renaming the district to Sribhumi will also give it a distinct identity, justifying its rich cultural heritage, he said.

Besides, the state cabinet also decided to publish the voter list for the panchayat polls by December so that the election process is over by February 10 next year, Sarma said.

"We also approved an amendment to the Assam Panchayat (Constitution) Rules, 1995 to facilitate preparation of electoral roll for the panchayat polls on the basis of the electoral roll of the assembly election," he said.

Talking about another decision, he said, "The cabinet approved holding an investment and infrastructure summit in Assam on February 24, 2025. We have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has accepted our request." Focusing further on investment in infrastructure development, the Assam government will organise roadshows at various places abroad and other cities of India in the coming months to attract participants for the global summit, Sarma said.

Later, a cabinet communique, shared by Sarma on X, stated that an ordinance on the state GST act has been approved to maintain parity with the central law on the same.

To achieve the state's plan to increase forest cover and accelerate the adoption of agroforestry as a significant component of the agricultural ecosystem, the cabinet also approved the Assam Agroforestry Policy, 2024.

"This decision will ensure a dedicated state policy on agriculture, mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, increase the area under Trees Outside Forest (TOF), boost rural economy and farmers income," the communique said.

Besides, the cabinet also gave its nod for 94 projects worth over Rs 70 crore in the soil conservation and agriculture sector.

The government decided to designate the Assam State Space Application Centre (ASSAC) as the nodal agency for policy support pertaining to remote sensing, GPS and drone surveys among others.

Accordingly, ASSAC will be included under the PM Gati Shakti-driven programme for data-sharing, standards for data quality and police framework of geospatial data in the state.

"With this new setup as state nodal agency, ASSAC will be in a better position to liaise with stakeholders of state government, ISRO, DOS NESAC in the area of scientific and techno-managerial activities," it said.

In the meeting, the cabinet also approved several amendments in the Assam Unified Building Construction (Regulation) Byelaws, 2022 in order to carry out urban reforms and achieve planned development.

"The amendment will bring about a transformation in the land use, transportation and land value capturing mechanism of urban areas to develop sustainable, healthy, liveable and efficient cities," it added.