Golaghat: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said his government was trying to develop the health sector and appealed to all sections of people to work hard to achieve the goal.

Inaugurating the newly constructed Vivekenanda Kendra NRL School of Nursing at the Numaligarh Refinery Complex in Golaghat district of Upper Assam, he urged nurses and doctors to be dedicated like monks.

He said the Atal Amrit Yojana, a health insurance scheme, would cover 1.5 crore people of the state, adding that 4,500 patients have already benefited from it.

The school of nursing is one of the biggest corporate social responsibility projects undertaken by the NRL at a cost of Rs 26 crore. It will roll out 40 to 60 girl students every year for the general nursing and midwifery course.

The first batch, mostly from Golaghat district, have already been enrolled for the 2017-18 session.

Entirely driven by an all-women team - students, the principal, faculty, contract workers and vendors for support service - the nursing school is managed by the VKNRL Nursing School Trust, comprising members of the NRL and the Vivekananda Kendra. The Vivekananda Kendra NRL Hospital was established in 1997. Since its inception, the hospital has been providing healthcare to NRL staff and people of the neighbouring areas.

Sonowal also attended a krishok samaroh (farmers' meet) at Chinatoli village in Golaghat district where he distributed 21 tractors among farmers under the Prime Minister's Farmers' Production Double Scheme 2022. He declared the village with a population of 3,500 as a "green and clean village". He also felicitated 31 "progressive" farmers.