On Sunday, the Assam government made the decision to transfer 3,000 bighas (approximately 992 acres) of land located at Doloo Tea Estate in Cachar district to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the establishment of a greenfield airport, as stated by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
During a press conference following a cabinet meeting, Sarma mentioned that the committee approved an increase of 500 bighas from the previous allocation of 2,500 bighas (826.45 acres) for the proposed airport near Silchar. “The cabinet has sanctioned the transfer of 3,000 bighas at Doloo Tea Estate in Silchar to the AAI for the development of a greenfield airport,” Sarma remarked, noting that this decision will facilitate the approval from the Union Cabinet for the project.
The state government had suggested a new airport in Silchar covering 2,500 bighas, as the current facility at Kumbhirgram is a defense airport, making it impossible to expand to meet the growing air traffic demands.
In November 2022, the Assam government provided financial assistance to 1,296 families residing at Doloo Tea Estate “as a gesture of goodwill.” Earlier that same year, a controversy emerged regarding the state government’s attempts to acquire land for the establishment of a greenfield airport, with the then Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia asserting that no such proposal had been submitted for the facility by the BJP-led state. It was subsequently clarified that the land acquisition was being conducted at the request of the AAI.
Due to the misunderstandings, the land acquisition at the tea estate for the airport sparked protests among the garden workers; however, the government assured that no worker would be displaced from their homes and that there would be no job losses. The state government had earlier announced a compensation package of Rs 50 crore for the acquisition of land at Doloo, Lalbagh, and Mainagarh tea gardens for the establishment of the greenfield airport.
In June of this year, Sarma announced that a public hearing had been conducted at Doloo Tea Estate. The workers, supported by the Asom Mojuri Shramik Union (AMSU), voiced their dissatisfaction and requested the government to either return the land that was acquired or provide an equivalent area elsewhere for tea cultivation. Regarding other cabinet decisions, the Chief Minister stated that the government has sanctioned land allotment to 1,200 families under the flagship initiative Mission Basundhara.
Additionally, the cabinet approved a collaborative project to be established at the state-operated Assam Engineering College in partnership with Dassault Systems India Pvt Ltd. “The project, which will cover an area of 5,000 square feet and cost Rs 243 crore, will provide courses related to aerospace and defense, as well as automotive and electric vehicles,” Sarma explained.
Out of the total expenditure, the Assam government will contribute Rs 43 crore, while Dassault Systems will invest Rs 200 crore, he noted. Sarma also mentioned that the cabinet granted administrative approval for the establishment of Assam’s second Sainik School in Longvaku, located in the Karbi Anglong district. “The school will be constructed at a cost of Rs 335 crore, with 80 percent of the funding provided by the Ministry of Defence and the remaining 20 percent by the Assam government,” he added.
Furthermore, the cabinet approved compensation for 884 families whose land was acquired during the construction of the four-lane National Highway in the Dima Hasao district. Sarma indicated that the cabinet endorsed the Assam Logistics and Warehousing Policy, 2025, which aims to position Assam as a significant logistics hub.
The cabinet also approved the mandatory inclusion of Assam’s history and geography as subjects for classes 6, 7, and 8. This decision was made based on the recommendations of the high-level committee led by retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma, which was formed to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, he concluded.
