Sixth Bodoland Day celebrated in Assam

Kokrajhar, Feb 10 (UNI) Marking the historic Bodo Accord that paved the way for Bodo militants to exchange arms for political power in Assam, the sixth Bodoland Day was celebrated in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) today.

Attending the public rally on the occasion, Assam Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma announced that an engineering college and a planetarium would be set up in BTAD within the next year.

Expressing satisfaction at the development the area was making, he said, ''The Bodoland People's Party is a partner of the Congress government in the state. It is not only a seat-sharing arrangement, but a partnership for growth and development of the entire state.'' He added one of the three Rajya Sabha seats that would be vacated later in the year would get a Bodo representative.

State Tourism Minister Rockybul Hussain, also participating in the meeting, said the government would put special focus on the tourism potential of the BTAD areas.

He announced the construction of a new tourist bungalow in Chakrasila at a cost of Rs 25 lakh and another tourist guest house at Gossaigaon, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 45 lakh.

The main meeting was held at the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) secretariat field in Kokrajhar, with a host of dignitaries, including BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary.

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