Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma 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.
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 organise Rongali Bihu functions from Sankranti to the 6th day of the Bohag month of Assamese calendar every year and are minimum 10 years old.
Under this initiative, the Chief Minister distributed Rs. 1.5 lakhs per committee to 138 of committees of Kamrup (Metro) and 142 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.
Sarma said that the State government has a bounded responsibility to work for socio-economic development of the people of the State as well as promoting 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.