Progress In Assam Important For India's Development: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu said today that the development of Assam was very important for the overall development of India, expressing happiness that the infrastructure of the state and the Northeast were being upgraded to make the common people's life easier.

President Murmu, who is on a two-day tour to Assam, stressed that rail, road and water connectivity in the entire Northeast was being upgraded to give the required boost to the development graph of the region.

"Assam's development is very important for the overall development of India," she said while speaking at a civic reception in Guwahati.

"The development of the Northeast is getting new thrust and Assam is marching ahead with rapid speed," she added.

The president highlighted that India's international connectivity through the Northeast enhanced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

President Murmu said a good ecosystem was being built by the government to uplift tourism in Assam and it would be clearly visible in the near future, generating a huge number of jobs.

"There's enormous scope to develop the tourism of Assam. The Kaziranga and Manas (national parks) attract a large number of tourists," she said.

Praising the Assam tea, President Murmu said it was of utmost importance to work for the development of the families of tea garden workers.

"I'm happy to share that tomorrow, I'll lay the foundation stone for 100 model secondary schools in the tea garden areas of Assam," she added.

The president praised the nationalism among the Assamese people as she remembered the legendary Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, whose 400th birth anniversary is being celebrated this year.

She pointed out that the National Defence Academy gad been awarding its best cadet with the Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal every year since 1999 and a statue of him was later established at the complex.

Borphukan is known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat, in which an attempt by the Mughals to take over the Ahom kingdom was thwarted.

President Murmu said she saw a glimpse of the rich multi-dimensional culture of Assam on the roads while coming to the venue.

"I'm very happy on my maiden visit to Assam as a President," President Murmu said, adding that she would pray for the prosperity of the people at Kamakhya Temple on Friday morning.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)