Himanta Biswa second most popular CM, most popular among big states: India Today survey

The India Today Mood of the Nation Poll (MOTN), published in August revealed that 50.8 per cent of the respondents in Assam expressed satisfaction with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s performance.

Sarma was found to be the most popular chief minister within his home state and second most popular CM in the country. It must be mentioned that CM Sarma's popularity has witnessed an increase, according to the latest edition of India Today Mood of the Nation Poll, up from 48.6 per cent in February 2024 and 49.2 per cent in August 2023.

Respondents in every state were asked to rate the performance of the chief ministers of their home states and 50.8 per cent of respondents in Assam expressed satisfaction with Sarma's performance. 

In Sikkim, CM Prem Singh Tamang topped the list with 55.7 per cent of respondents expressing satisfaction with his performance in August 2024, up from 26 per cent in February 2024 and 32.5 per cent in August 2023. 

In August 2022, 68 per cent of respondents in Assam expressed satisfaction with his performance. Five months later, in January 2023, his share of respondents expressed happiness over Sarma’s performance which soared to 68 per cent. 

In the next Mood of the Nation Poll held in August 2023, there was a massive decline in his support as respondents expressing satisfaction dropped to 49.2 per cent. 

In all-India ranking, when respondents were asked to name the chief minister, they vouched for CM Tamang as the best performer among the 30 incumbent chief ministers of the country. 

CM Tamang hence found a place at the top of the list. 

The August 2024 edition of India Today’s Mood of the Nation, a bi-annual pan-India survey, was conducted by CVoter between July 15, 2024 and August 10, 2024. The survey interviewed 40,591 respondents in all 543 Lok Sabha segments of the country. Another 95,872 interviews from CVoter’s regular weekly tracker were also analysed to identify long-term trends in vote and seat share.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, also known as "HBS," has been a major factor in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) apparent victory in Assam for a second term. The 55-year-old political celebrity is seldom subtle, and based on his resume, it appears that he thinks the meek will not inherit the earth.

HBS is the most high-profile minister in Assam's political landscape- be it during Congress regime or now the current BJP led state government with meaty portfolios: finance, planning and development, health and family welfare, education and PWD. He’s perched atop the commanding heights of the state’s politics and policy.

Since Himanta Biswa Sarma became the Chief Minister of Assam in May 2021, several of his government's initiatives have been quantified to demonstrate their impact. 

Here are some of the key achievements:

COVID-19 Management

Shortly after taking oath as the 15th chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma said the first duty of the new government would be to check the spread of the Covid pandemic in the state.

Speaking on the lines of vaccination coverage, as of late 2021, Assam had administered over 2 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with the state achieving significant coverage of its adult population. By mid-2023, the state had fully vaccinated over 1.9 crore individuals.

Healthcare Infrastructure: The state government added around 8,000 beds, including ICU beds, and improved oxygen supply across hospitals, leading to a lower mortality rate during subsequent COVID waves.

Following the end of COVID pandemic, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma's vision of establishing government medical colleges in all districts of the state has been widely appreciated. 

Infrastructure Development

Road and Bridge Projects: Assam launched numerous road projects, including 2,200 kilometres of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The government also inaugurated the 1.9 km-long flyover in Guwahati, the longest in the state, in June 2022.

New Bridges: Work commenced on the Majuli-Jorhat bridge over the Brahmaputra, with a projected completion in 2026. This bridge is expected to reduce travel time significantly and boost connectivity in the region.

Among others is the most anticipated Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge, stretching over a distance of 8.4 km across the Brahmaputra, the project, with a budget of Rs 2,608 crore, is progressing as planned and is slated for completion by Diwali in 2024.

Education Initiatives

The Himanta Biswa Sarma government has been putting all efforts to boost the morale of the girl students in each and every nook and corner of the state.

With initiatives like Gunotsav, the state government is trying to uplift the quality of education in schools for students, the infrastructure of schools and the student ratio.

Shutting down of Madrasas: The Assam government has converted and renamed 1,281 madrasas across Assam into Middle English (ME) schools. These madrassas, which were functioning with government funds, have been converted into general schools.

These schools are located across 21 districts of the state, mostly in lower Assam region and Barak Valley districts.
"Consequent to the conversion of all Govt and Provincialised Madrasa's into general schools under SEBA, @SchoolEdnAssam has changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into ME School by a notification," state education minister Ranoj Pegu wrote on "X" (formerly Twitter).

Since April 1, 2021, the state government had already converted 610 state-run madrassas into upper primary, high and higher secondary schools, with no change of status, pay, allowances and service conditions of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

New Educational Institutions: Over 100 new schools and colleges have been established across Assam, with a focus on remote and underserved areas.

Free Admission: The Assam government offered free admission to over 6 lakh students in government schools for the 2021-2022 academic year, and provided free uniforms to 45 lakh students.

Welfare and Social Justice

Mission Basundhara: As of 2023, the initiative resolved over 4 lakh land-related cases and digitized land records for approximately 18 lakh families, significantly reducing disputes and enhancing transparency.

Free Education: The Assam government offered free admission to over 6 lakh students in government schools for the 2021-2022 academic year, and provided free uniforms to 45 lakh students.

Orunodoi Scheme: By 2023, the Orunodoi scheme provided monthly financial assistance to over 20 lakh families, with each beneficiary family receiving ₹1,250 per month, boosting their financial stability.

Wage Hike for Tea Workers: The daily wage for tea garden workers was increased to ₹232 in 2021, benefiting approximately 10 lakh workers across the state.

Law and Order

Anti-Drug Campaign: Between 2021 and 2023, Assam Police seized drugs worth over Rs 800 crore and arrested more than 6,000 individuals involved in drug trafficking, significantly curbing the menace in the state.

Child Marriages:  A latest report titled "Towards Justice: Ending Child Marriage" reveals an impressive 81 percent reduction in child marriage cases across 20 districts in Assam between 2021-22 and 2023-24. Released on the World Day for International Justice, the report attributes this success to the Assam state government’s initiatives and the impact of rigorous prosecution.

Announcing the same on X, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote, "This exceptional report by @IndiaCPOrg is shining testament to our sustained efforts in empowering Nari Shakti. With over 3,000 arrests and our zero tolerance approach has led to a 81% decline in child marriages since 2021. We will not rest, till we eliminate this social evil".

Encroachment Drives: The government conducted large-scale eviction drives, clearing over 1,500 hectares of encroached land by mid-2023, aimed at restoring land to indigenous communities.

Recently Himanta Biswa Saram announced reclamation of 167 sq km of land from encroachment on the eve of 
Independence Day

According to Assam CM, the reclaimed area is larger than the city of Chandigarh and involves encroachments from a single community. 

During the Independence Day celebrations, Sarma mentioned that the government has been working to protect the biodiversity of Assam. 

He stated that in the last three years, they have succeeded in recovering 167 sq km of forest land from encroachment. The reclamation process started from Gaurkhuti and extended to areas like Kaziranga, Limding, and Batadrava. The reclaimed land has been transferred to the forest department.

Economic Initiatives

Giving a boost to the state's GDP, Himanta Biswa Sarma's government is playing a pivotal role, at the same time enhancing employment opportunities.

Sarma said that Assam is rapidly establishing itself as a preferred investment destination due to its investor-friendly initiatives and a tailored industrial policy. The state is seeing significant advancements in its business ecosystem, reflecting the government's commitment to fostering industrial growth.

In a social media post, Sarma highlighted the state’s efforts to enhance its industrial landscape, saying, "With investor-friendly initiatives and a customized industrial policy, Assam is fast becoming a preferred investment destination and recent developments back our intent. We are constantly engaging with industries to further develop the industrial ecosystem in Assam."

Investment MoUs: In 2022, Assam signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth ₹2,000 crore with various companies, aimed at boosting investment in sectors like IT, manufacturing, and tourism.

Agri and Rural Development: The government launched schemes like Mukhya Mantri Atmanirbhar Krishi Yojana, benefiting over 4 lakh farmers by providing financial assistance and modern agricultural tools.

Tourism and Culture

The Assam government has taken a significant step towards promoting tourism in the state by transforming tea estates into tourist destinations.

Earlier this month, state tourism minister also distributed sanction letters to 34 selected tea estates in the second phase of the “Promotion and Development of Tea Tourism Infrastructure in Assam” scheme.

Under this scheme, each selected tea estate will receive a financial grant of up to Rs 2 crore to develop their infrastructure, including accommodation facilities, amenities, and activities. 

Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah emphasized the potential of tea estates in Assam to attract tourists from all over the world, stating, “Even after completing 200 years of the tea industry of Assam, tea tourism remained unexplored due to various obstacles in the past its full potential could not be explored. But tea estates in Assam have the potential to attract tourists from all across the world. So, the state government is working at full speed to give a new dimension to the tourism sector of the state by overcoming all the obstacles.”

Tourism Growth: Assam saw a 15 per cent increase in domestic tourist arrivals in 2022 compared to the previous year, aided by government promotions and infrastructure improvements.

Rhino Conservation: Assam recorded zero rhino poaching cases in Kaziranga National Park in 2022, a major achievement after years of continuous poaching incidents.

It is to be mentioned here that, Assam grabbed the headlines as after Himanta Biswa Sarma took the oath to the CM's  office the state recorded zero poaching of endangered rhinos, which are known for their horns that fetch big money because of their supposed medicinal value, for the first time in nearly 45 years in 2022.

Healthcare Improvements

It is to be mentioned here that not while ago in 2010, Assam had only three medical colleges, however, after CM Sarma took the reins of the government now Assam boost 13 functional medical colleges with an aim to have at least 21 by 2026-27, according to the chief minister.

By 2023, Assam had added three new medical colleges in Diphu, Lakhimpur, and Dhubri, increasing the state's annual medical student intake capacity by over 500 seats.

Ayushman Bharat Expansion: Over 35 lakh families were enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme by mid-2023, providing them with health insurance coverage up to ₹5 lakh per year.

Environment and Sustainability

Forest Cover Increase: As per the Forest Survey of India 2021 report, Assam's forest cover increased by approximately 221 square kilometers compared to the previous assessment, reflecting the state's conservation efforts.

Flood Management: The government launched the Assam Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program, aiming to protect over 2 lakh hectares of land from flood-related damage.

Meanwhile, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has taken a significant step towards mitigating the recurring issue of landslides in the state by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Geological Survey of India (GSI). This collaboration aims to implement an experimental regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) in Assam.

Digital Governance

E-Governance: Assam's e-District initiative facilitated over 1 crore digital transactions for various public services by 2023, enhancing transparency and accessibility.

These data-driven achievements highlight the impact of Himanta Biswa Sarma’s administration across various sectors, contributing to the overall development of Assam.