Himanta criticises Congress for obstructing laying of IIM-Gwahati bill in Parliament

Guwahati, Aug 18 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday criticised the Congress for allegedly obstructing the introduction of a bill in Parliament to set up an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Guwahati by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

''Today, the anti-Assam attitude of the Congress has once again been exposed in Parliament. When Hon’ble Union Minister Shri @dpradhanbjp Ji rose to lay the Bill for establishing the first ever Indian Institute of Management in Assam, the entire INDI bloc, led by Cong, attempted to obstruct the process by shouting and creating disruption'', the Chief Minister posted on 'X'.

Sarma strongly condemned ''this anti-Assam stance of Congress'' and congratulated Pradhan for standing firm and not yielding to their pressure.

The laying of the bill is a ''significant development for Assam'', he added.

''My gratitude to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji and Hon'ble Education Minister Shri @dpradhanbjp ji for their leadership in this matter'', he said.

''Look forward to the support from Parliamentarians across the political spectrum for this key endeavour'', he added.

The Union cabinet had approved the setting up of IIM-Guwahati last week.

IIM-Guwahati will be the 22nd Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in the country and the second in the Northeast.

The institute will be mentored by IIM-Ahmedabad and efforts are being made to begin classes from this year at a temporary campus to be provided by the state government, Sarma had said at a press conference last week.

The permanent campus will be set up at Palasbari near Guwahati in Kamrup district.

With the setting up of the IIM, Guwahati will have all flagship institutes with IIT, National Law University, AIIMS already functioning and Forensic University in the process of being set up, he said.

The first IIM in the Northeast was set up in Shillong in 2007. PTI DG DG MNB