Guwahati, Sept. 7: Dispur will pay tribute to Bhupen Hazarika on his 89th birth anniversary tomorrow by inaugurating open-air stages and parks in 187 development blocks of the state in his memory.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi will centrally inaugurate a Bhupen Hazarika memorial open-air stage and park at Boko in Kamrup district in the presence of the cultural icon's younger brother Samar Hazarika, state panchayat and rural development minister Rakibul Hussain told reporters here today.
After the inauguration by the chief minister, prominent cultural persons or social workers would inaugurate the stages and parks in each development block, Hussain added.
He said last year, the state government had decided to construct an open-air stage along with a park each in all the 219 development blocks in the state in Hazarika's memory and foundation stones were laid on November 5, coinciding with the third death anniversary of the maestro.
"I am happy to announce that we have been able to complete the first phase of the project within a year," the minister said.
He said of the 219 development blocks, stages and parks have been completed in 198 blocks and in the remaining 21 blocks instructions have been give to complete the construction soon.
"Tomorrow, 187 stages and parks will be inaugurated since people of 11 blocks have urged the government to defer the inauguration because of floods in those areas and the government has agreed to their request."
Hussain said these open-air stages will fulfil the long-felt need in most blocks for a proper place to hold public functions and cultural programmes. Public functions can be held free of cost, he added.
The construction of the stages and parks were done under the supervision of anchalik panchayats and they will be responsible for their maintenance also, the minister said.
"As far as I know, this is the first time in the country so many stages and parks have been built in the memory of one person, which is a befitting tribute to Hazarika from the state government," he said.
Hussain said between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh had been spent on the construction of each stage and park.
He appealed to the people to participate in tomorrow's function to pay tribute to Hazarika on his birth anniversary.
