Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma today ceremonially launched the distribution of one-time financial assistance to Rongali Bihu celebration committees at a function organized by the Cultural Affairs Department at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati today. It is to be mentioned that the State government has decided to provide the one-time financial assistance only to those Bihu celebration committees which organize Rongali Bihu functions from Sankranti to the 6th day of the Bohag month of the Assamese calendar every year and are a minimum of 10 years old.
Under this initiative, the Chief Minister today distributed Rs. 1.5 lakhs per committee to 138 nos. of committees of Kamrup (Metro) and 142 nos. of committees of Kamrup district. Altogether 1265 Bihu committees of 30 districts will be given this financial assistance and for this purpose, the Culture Affairs Department has allocated a sum of Rs. 18.97 crore. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said that the State government has abounded responsibility to work for the socio-economic development of the people of the State as well as promote the State’s rich culture.
He said that considering the socio-cultural significance of Bihu for the people of Assam, the State government has decided to provide one-time financial assistance to the Rongali Bihu committees that organize Bihu functions from Sankranti to the 6th day of the Bohag month of Assamese calendar every year and are minimum 10 years old. Underlining the history of Rongali Bihu which was originally celebrated for seven days, the Chief Minister urged the Bihu committees to maintain its originality so that the youth could realize its true form instead of considering Bihu just as a cultural function.
The Chief Minister also called upon the Bihu celebration committees to use gamosa which are produced locally in the handlooms instead of power loom at Bihu functions. While Director Cultural Affairs Dr. Debojit Khanikar delivered the welcome speech, the program was also addressed by Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Borah. Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Department Laya Madduri and representatives of the Rongali Bihu celebration committees of Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup district were present on the occasion.
