The state government has taken a far-reaching decision for the expansion and development of Dibrugarh city as Assam’s second capital. The Assam Cabinet has approved the proposal to form a ‘State Capital Region’ centered on Dibrugarh and to establish a separate development authority for its planned growth. This significant decision was taken at the first Cabinet meeting held on Friday after the expansion of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma’s council of ministers.
The proposed State Capital Region will cover an area within a 20-kilometer radius around the Dibrugarh Capital Complex. To oversee the planning and development of this entire region, the government has consented to the formation of the ‘State Capital Region Development Authority, Dibrugarh’. This newly constituted body will be entrusted with preparing regional and sectoral development plans in line with the growth of Dibrugarh’s second capital region, identifying potential growth corridors, and drawing up a blueprint for future urbanization.
To smoothly manage this new administrative center, the local MLA of Dibrugarh will serve as the interim chairman of this development authority and will be accorded the status of a Cabinet Minister. In addition, apart from the ongoing regular projects for infrastructure development of the new capital region, the state government will allocate an additional Rs 500 crore over the next five years. The government has taken this step with the aim of ensuring planned urbanization and strengthening infrastructure as Dibrugarh assumes a major administrative role in the state.
