Guwahati: Rs 2,100 crore for satellite city, Rs 100 crore Science City boost, and CM admits flood governance failures
The Assam cabinet cleared Rs 2,100 crore for land acquisition tied to Guwahati's satellite city project, while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced an additional Rs 100 crore for the Guwahati Science City at Sonapur with a March 2027 completion target. The Chief Minister separately acknowledged that poor drain supervision, garbage dumping, and weak waste management have been driving Guwahati's recurring flood crisis alongside, and not solely because of, neighboring Meghalaya.
🏢 Assam Cabinet Clears Rs 2,100 Crore for Guwahati Satellite City Land Acquisition
The Assam cabinet, meeting on Tuesday and chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, approved Rs 2,100 crore for the land acquisition component of Guwahati's satellite city project, The Assam Tribune reported on August 12, 2026. The Rs 2,100 crore figure represents the funds specifically approved for land acquisition in connection with the satellite city initiative. The cabinet session that cleared this major urban development decision was presided over by Chief Minister Sarma on the same day. In the same cabinet sitting, a separate decision was also taken on agricultural tax policy: small tea growers in Assam whose annual income does not exceed Rs 10 lakh are to be exempted from agricultural income tax. This exemption for small tea growers was approved alongside the satellite city land acquisition allocation in the same meeting. The Assam Tribune reported both the Rs 2,100 crore satellite city land acquisition approval and the small tea grower tax exemption as distinct decisions cleared in the single cabinet session chaired by CM Sarma on August 12, 2026. The dual nature of the cabinet's decisions — addressing urban infrastructure through the satellite city land acquisition on one hand, and extending agricultural tax relief to small tea growers on the other — reflects the range of governance decisions taken in a single sitting. The Assam Tribune also noted that the cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Sarma, who presided over both decisions on the same Tuesday. [3]
🗳️ CM Sarma Inspects Guwahati Science City, Announces Rs 100 Crore Boost and March 2027 Completion Target
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the Guwahati Science City at Sonapur and conducted an inspection of the ongoing construction works at the centre, the Daily Pioneer reported on August 12, 2026. Following the inspection, the Chief Minister held a review meeting with departmental authorities to assess progress and plan the next phase of development. Construction at Guwahati Science City is underway on more than 150 bighas of land, with several new additions currently being developed since the centre's formal inauguration five months earlier. Sarma expressed hope that the Science City would be completed in its entirety by March 2027. The State Government announced it would provide an additional Rs 100 crore to fund works aimed at making the Science City more attractive and engaging for visitors, including a digital panorama, a convention centre, a musical fountain, and parking facilities. The project is implemented jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Assam. Sarma expressed hope that upon completion, Guwahati Science City would emerge as one of the finest science cities in the country. The Chief Minister urged people of all age groups — particularly school and college students — to visit the facility, and noted the government is considering introducing a dedicated ASTC bus service from Guwahati to the Science City at Sonapur. Ministers Keshab Mahanta, Pijush Hazarika, and Kaushik Rai were present during the visit. The Chief Minister also visited Zubeen Khetra at Komarkuchi in Sonapur, the memorial site of renowned Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, where he inspected the premises and reviewed ongoing construction work. [7]
CM Sarma Tempers Meghalaya Blame, Cites Poor Drains and Waste Management as Flood Failures
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed the recurring flooding problems in Guwahati with a measured stance on August 12, 2026, according to The Assam Tribune. Rather than placing sole responsibility on neighboring Meghalaya, the Chief Minister pointed to multiple internal governance failures as key causes of the city's waterlogging. Sarma directly admitted that poor drain supervision has been a contributing factor, acknowledging a shortfall in the management of Guwahati's drainage infrastructure. The Chief Minister also identified garbage dumping as an ongoing issue that continues to worsen urban flooding, indicating that waste disposal in the city remains a persistent and unresolved challenge. Weak waste management was flagged as a third area of failure by the Chief Minister, who noted its continued negative impact on the severity of flooding in Guwahati. The Assam Tribune characterized the Chief Minister's overall posture as one of tempering the Meghalaya blame while simultaneously highlighting these multiple internal failures. The report specifically noted that Sarma admitted poor drain supervision, and that both garbage dumping and weak waste management continue to worsen flooding conditions across the city. By acknowledging these three interconnected causes — drain supervision failures, garbage dumping, and weak waste management — the Chief Minister highlighted multiple layers of administrative accountability that the state and city administration must address. The stance represented a focus on governance failures within Assam's own administrative purview as central to resolving Guwahati's flood vulnerability. [5]
Sources: [3] The Assam Tribune · [7] Daily Pioneer · [5] The Assam Tribune