Dholai/Hailakandi : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday reiterated that the proposed elevated corridor in Silchar will be executed only if residents deliver a clear, controversy-free consensus, making it clear that the government will not push ahead amid divided public opinion.

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme in Dholai, Sarma said the administration moved swiftly on the project in response to public concern over rising traffic congestion in Silchar.”We are doing it on public demand. If people want it, it will happen; if they don’t, it won’t,” he said. “I am neutral. Once the public decides, we will begin.”

The Chief Minister affirmed that the government is fully prepared to commence work. “We are ready. The contractor is ready, funds are ready. If people say start tomorrow, we will start tomorrow,” he added.

The 3.5-km elevated corridor, approved by the Cabinet at a cost of ?564.50 crore, reached the tendering stage in August this year. As part of efforts to assess public opinion, the District Administration conducted a meeting on November 19, chaired by Cabinet Minister Kaushik Rai.

While a majority of attendees supported the project as a solution to chronic traffic bottlenecks, a section of traders voiced apprehension over the design and its possible impact on commercial establishments. With differing views now recorded, Sarma said the government will wait for a final collective mandate from the people before taking further action.

Responding to questions on the protest by 108 ambulance employees, Sarma asserted that the issue is linked to the private operator, not the government.

“This is related to privatisation. They are not government employees but employees of EMRI,” he said. “The protest is against them, not the government. We release funds as per tender norms, and salaries thereafter fall under the agency’s purview.”

 Earlier in the day, Sarma distributed seed capital under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan (MMUA) in Hailakandi and Dholai. A total of 17,774 women in Hailakandi and 20,045 in Dholai received ?10,000 each as financial support to promote women-led entrepreneurship.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that preliminary discussions have begun on setting up an AIIMS-model medical institution in the Barak Valley, marking the first official indication of the government’s intent to expand advanced healthcare infrastructure in the region.

Addressing the media during a seed capital distribution programme under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan (MMUA) in Hailakandi, Sarma said the proposal is still in its infancy but reflects growing demand for a premier medical institute equivalent to AIIMS Guwahati.

“There is already a discussion that since we have an AIIMS in the Brahmaputra Valley, we should have another in the Barak Valley. Nothing concrete yet – it is still preliminary,” the Chief Minister remarked.

He added that Patharkandi MLA Krishnendu Paul has offered land in his constituency for the project. An AIIMS-standard institution, he noted, would require nearly 1,200 bighas of land, and identification of a suitable site could take time. “The process is at a very initial stage,” he said.

Sarma later reiterated the government’s position on a microblogging platform, stating that early steps are being taken to ensure “world-class healthcare reaches every corner of Assam. No region will be left behind.”

The development comes amid a string of health and infrastructure announcements in the Barak Valley, including approval for a ?295-crore, 208-bed super-speciality wing at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), and clearance for the long-pending greenfield airport at Doloo Tea Estate.

The Chief Minister also referenced the Centre’s cultural promotion efforts, saying, “Modi ji is popularising Assam’s Gamusa and Tea as well.” Earlier in the day, Sarma distributed ?10,000 cheques to 17,775 women SHG members in Hailakandi under the Mohila Udyomita Scheme.