Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam’s Act East Policy Affairs Department has no actual projects. It exists only to host meetings. The state government confirmed this on Thursday while answering a query from Congress MLA Wajed Ali Choudhury.
Minister Bimal Bora told the Legislative Assembly that the department functions strictly as a facilitator. It handles international dialogue rather than building things. Since 2022, the state has burned through over Rs 1.70 crore on these diplomatic exchanges.
The cash covered various conferences and international visits. The "Act East Through Northeast" Conclave in 2022 cost a significant chunk of the budget. It gathered ambassadors and officials to discuss trade and connectivity. The state spent over Rs 1.23 crore on that event and the subsequent NADI 3.0 water management conference combined.
Other costs include a 2022 delegation visit from Bangladesh, which tallied nearly Rs 11 lakh. A 2024 connectivity summit in Guwahati added another Rs 26 lakh to the bill. A 32-member Thai delegation also visited in late 2024 to discuss education policy at a modest cost of Rs 20,660.
The department also paid for academic events. It funded student debates and international conclaves at Royal Global University and Cotton University. These outreach efforts cost roughly Rs 10 lakh. The assembly report explains the department's role clearly. It stated that the branch acts as a "coordinating platform for diplomatic engagement, academic outreach and regional cooperation initiatives intended to strengthen Assam's strategic role under India's Act East Policy."
Officials insist these talks are necessary. They claim the department bridges the gap between the state and Southeast Asian nations. It has no progress reports to share because it completes no construction work.
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