Guwahati, Aug. 27: The Tarun Gogoi government today said it had identified a 6,700-bigha plot to set up a knowledge city that would also include the proposed world class university approved by the Centre.

The plot is located near Boko in Kamrup district, 85km from capital Guwahati.

“The Prime Minister announced a few educational institutes during his two-day visit and I am happy to announce that we have already identified the area where we will set up our knowledge city. It will house the best brands in the education sector, including the Delhi-approved world class university,” Gogoi told reporters.

The chief minister said the state’s thrust on education was not without reason as his government believed that development of the sector would help generate employment, avenues for which were limited in the state. To convey the message that the government was committed to the project as ambitious as the knowledge city, he reminded doubters about the successful hosting of the National Games in February 2007.

“The same thing was said about the mega event but we proved that it was possible. What you need is the will,” Gogoi added.

The special package announced yesterday included, among others, necessary assistance to set up a centre of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, a national design institute, a skill development mission, a state-level university of science and technology as well as a law school and a judicial academy of Assam.

“The Centre will also set up a science city in Guwahati which will give a big boost to science education in the entire Northeast. All these institutes will go a long way in producing skilled manpower who can be gainfully employed. We are also developing the ITIs spread across the state so that the growth is balanced. I am thankful to the Prime Minister for the special package that included four bridges over the Brahmaputra, something which has never happened in the history of the state. The date of August 26 will go down in the annals of the state as a red-letter day given the kind of package announced yesterday by the Prime Minister. Never has any Prime Minister before announced so much at one go,” he said.

At a function organised by the cooperation department at Rabindra Bawan to distribute cheques for Rs 50,000 each to 240 women’s cooperative societies in the state, Gogoi announced that the ones doing well after securing government help would be sent to leading cooperatives.

“The process is to help empower our women and make them self-sufficient. They should make the most of the projects that they have sought assistance for. The best ones will be sent to leading cooperatives to gain more experience and skill,” Gogoi said.

Though he did not elaborate, sources in the department said the best ones would be sent to cooperatives like Amul and Lijjat Pappad.

Nearly Rs 1.2 crore was distributed under the Asom Bikash Yojana.

Cooperation minister Gautam Bora and principal secretary V.K. Pipersenia were also present.