Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma Visits Zubeen Kshetra, Reviews Memorial Development in Sonapur
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Zubeen Kshetra in Sonapur for the first time after the elections and reviewed plans for the memorial dedicated to late singer Zubeen Garg.
GUWAHATI- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday visited ‘Zubeen Kshetra’ at Komarkuchi in Sonapur to review the progress of the memorial being developed in honour of late Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg.
During the visit, the chief minister paid floral tributes and lit a traditional lamp at the samadhi of the singer, who passed away in September 2025. This marked Sarma’s first official visit to the site after the completion of the recent assembly elections.
Addressing reporters, Sarma said he had deliberately refrained from visiting the memorial site during the election campaign period to avoid any political association with the artist’s legacy.
Also Read- Assam Crime Branch Summons Congress MP Randeep Surjewala in Riniki Bhuyan Sarma Case
“I did not want to use Zubeen Garg’s name or memory for political gain during the elections. Now that the elections are over, I have come here as a regular citizen and admirer,” the chief minister said.
According to officials, the Assam government has sanctioned an initial allocation of ₹3 crore for the first phase of development of the memorial complex, with construction work being carried out by the Public Works Department.
The chief minister reviewed ongoing construction activities and highlighted two immediate priorities for the site — the construction of a boundary wall around the 10-bigha area and landslide mitigation measures aimed at protecting the hilly terrain during the monsoon season.
Also Read- Border Tensions Rise Again in Lapangap Despite Ongoing Assam-Meghalaya Talks
Sarma stated that the proposed Zubeen Kshetra would be developed as a “living cultural hub” rather than a conventional memorial site. He said the government was working in coordination with Garima Saikia Garg and a dedicated committee to finalise the long-term vision for the project.
According to the proposed master plan, the complex will remain a protected green zone with restrictions on commercial hotels, resorts and residential development within the area. The project is also expected to include digital installations archiving Zubeen Garg’s musical and cinematic contributions, along with traditional cultural monoliths representing the ethnic diversity of the Northeast.
The memorial site has continued to attract visitors and admirers from across the region, many of whom leave traditional gamosas as a tribute to the singer, popularly known among fans as “Yaayan”.
Also Read- Tension Escalates in Manipur as 20 Civilians Remain Missing
During the day, the chief minister also visited Ahatguri in Morigaon district and inspected over 331 bighas of reserved government land proposed for future institutional development.
He further reviewed the proposed mega industrial park project spread across more than 1,067 bighas in the Sipiri-Duruladubi revenue village area and assessed the progress of infrastructure-related work.
Later, Sarma visited the Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test project site at Jagiroad, which the government has described as a major industrial initiative for Assam’s economic and employment sectors.
Speaking at the site, the chief minister said semiconductor chip production from the facility would begin “very soon”. Officials associated with the project briefed him on the status of ongoing work, while Sarma directed departments concerned to ensure timely execution of construction and related infrastructure activities.
The visit was attended by Jagiroad MLA Pijush Hazarika, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota and senior government officials.
