JORHAT, Sept 13: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday inaugurated a series of four infrastructure projects worth a combined ₹122.20 crore in Jorhat and Sivasagar districts, signalling a decisive push to modernise administrative facilities and eliminate long-standing traffic bottlenecks in Upper Assam.

The centrepiece of the day’s programme was the formal dedication of the newly constructed Integrated District Commissioner’s Office complex at Cinnamara in Jorhat, built at a cost of approximately ₹49.22–49.62 crore on more than 53 bighas of land. The modern multi-storey facility consolidates under one roof the offices of the District Commissioner, Treasury, Food and Civil Supplies, Sub-Registrar, Election, Revenue, Census, Aadhaar and other key departments. It features a 150-seat auditorium, a 60-seat conference hall, National Informatics Centre facilities, a 50-kilowatt solar power system, and parking for dozens of four-wheelers and over 150 two-wheelers.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Chief Minister said the new complex marks a decisive break from the colonial-era administrative model. The previous District Commissioner’s office had functioned from a British-built structure dating back to 1914. Sarma announced that the old building would be converted into a museum that could emerge as a tourist attraction, adding that the government was systematically replacing colonial-era infrastructure with institutions designed for the needs of independent India.

Earlier in the day, Sarma dedicated the 545-metre-long Cinnamara Railway Overbridge, constructed at a cost of around ₹65–65.20 crore on the Jorhat–Mariani–Mokokchung Road. The two-lane structure, 7.5 metres wide with 1.5-metre pedestrian footpaths on both sides, is expected to permanently eliminate the chronic congestion and long waiting times at the Cinnamara railway level crossing. The overbridge will significantly improve connectivity between Jorhat and the co-district headquarters of Mariani and Titabor.

The Chief Minister described the project as the fourth major flyover or railway overbridge completed in Jorhat under the present government, following the Na-Ali flyover (August 2023), the flyover near Jorhat Medical College (April 2025), and the Maniram Dewan–Piyali Barua Flyover (March 2026).

“We are making connectivity the foundation of Assam’s next growth phase,” Sarma said. “For decades, weak connectivity slowed the reach of development. We are duty-bound to reverse that deficit so that unhindered movement becomes the norm rather than the exception.”

The remaining two projects dedicated on the day were the new building of Luitporiya Mising Higher Secondary School in Jorhat (₹3.54 crore) and a girls’ hostel at Sivasagar University, underscoring the government’s simultaneous focus on educational infrastructure.

Responding to a long-standing request from Jorhat MLA Hiten Goswami (also referred to as Hitendra Nath Goswami), the Chief Minister announced that the banks of the Bhogdoi River would be transformed into a modern riverfront park. He also indicated that a new public auditorium in Jorhat is expected to be ready within the next two to three months.

The inaugurations coincided with the start of a two-day District Commissioners’ conference in Jorhat, where Sarma is reviewing administrative performance and development priorities across the state. The Chief Minister’s three-day visit to Upper Assam is being viewed as part of a broader effort to accelerate infrastructure delivery in the region under the government’s “Bikashar Babe Eta Poshek” development initiative, first launched in December 2022.

Officials present noted that the integrated office model being rolled out in Jorhat mirrors similar projects already completed or under way in other districts, including Kamrup (Metro), with the aim of improving citizen services, reducing bureaucratic delays, and freeing up prime government land for public amenities.