Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the Agriculture Department to convene a mega stakeholder workshop between August and September this year to secure Geographical Indication (GI) tags for the state’s indigenous agricultural produce. The directive came during a high-level review meeting on the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) held at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati on Monday.

Sarma Emphasized the importance of comprehensive organic certification across Assam, noting that such measures would enhance the global competitiveness and marketability of local crops. He assured that the state government would take every step to boost investment in agricultural infrastructure, support exporters of GI-tagged and organic products, and leverage central assistance under the AIF scheme.

The Chief Minister also instructed officials to bridge the gap between producers and aggregators, enabling farmers to directly access export markets and significantly improve their income. GI tags, he emphasized, safeguard regional identity and grant farmers exclusive market rights. Assam already boasts GI recognition for crops such as Kaji Nemu (Assam Lemon), Joha Rice, and Tezpur Litchi.

Beyond agriculture, Sarma reiterated his government’s commitment to reclaiming encroached land, highlighting that over 200 square kilometers have been recovered in the past five years. He stressed that robust measures are being taken to prevent encroachers from returning.

On infrastructure development, the Chief Minister directed departments including Education, Health, and Power to identify projects eligible for Central Government Viability Gap Funding (VGF). He also reviewed plans to expand Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives, aiming to build a sustainable pipeline of bankable projects.

In a separate session, Sarma assessed the progress of the E-File Monitoring System and emphasized the seamless rollout of the e-Office system across departments. He further explored the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into governance, envisioning a more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric administrative framework for Assam.