The Assam government has cleared the transfer of 3,000 bighas (around 992 acres) of land from the Doloo Tea Estate in Cachar district to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the development of a greenfield airport near Silchar. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision on Sunday, calling it a significant step toward securing Union Cabinet approval for the long-pending project.

The new approval marks an increase of 500 bighas from the earlier proposal of 2,500 bighas (826.45 acres). The greenfield airport was conceived after expansion of the Kumbhirgram defence airport was deemed unviable due to security limitations and growing civilian air traffic.

The land transfer comes after a series of developments since 2022, when the state government handed financial aid to 1,296 families at the Doloo Tea Estate “as a goodwill gesture.” The move followed confusion triggered by tea garden protests after then Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that no airport proposal had reached the Centre. The state later clarified that the acquisition was initiated on AAI’s request and assured that no tea garden worker would be displaced or lose their job.

The government had earlier announced Rs 50 crore as compensation for land acquired across Doloo, Lalbagh and Mainagarh tea estates. Despite this, dissatisfaction persists among workers under the Asom Mojuri Shramik Union (AMSU), who have demanded either the return of the land or alternative areas for tea cultivation.

Additional approvals: Education, infrastructure, and land rights

In the same cabinet meeting, several key decisions were made across sectors. The cabinet approved land allotments to 1,200 families under Mission Basundhara, the state’s flagship land rights initiative. A Rs 243-crore collaborative project between Assam Engineering College and Dassault Systems India Pvt. Ltd. received approval. Spread across 5,000 sq ft, the centre will offer specialised courses in aerospace and defence, automotive engineering, and electric vehicles. Dassault will invest Rs 200 crore, with the state contributing Rs 43 crore.

Administrative approval was granted for Assam’s second Sainik School, to be set up at Longvaku in Karbi Anglong district at a cost of Rs 335 crore. The Ministry of Defence will fund 80 per cent of the project, with the state covering the remaining 20 per cent.

Compensation for highway-affected families

The cabinet cleared compensation for 884 families whose land was acquired for a four-lane National Highway project in Dima Hasao district. The government approved the Assam Logistics and Warehousing Policy, 2025, aimed at positioning Assam as a major logistics hub for the Northeast.

Chief Minister Sarma also announced a new educational initiative: the study of Assam’s history and geography will become compulsory for students of Classes 6, 7, and 8. The decision comes on the recommendation of a high-level committee chaired by retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma, set up to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

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