GUWAHATI: Industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata will be conferred Assam’s highest civilian award ‘Assam Baibhav’.
Announcing the names of 19 personalities chosen for Assam Baibhav, Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav awards, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said Tata would be honoured with the Assam Baibhav award for his exceptional contribution towards furthering cancer care in the state.
Sarma said Tata was today shining worldwide for his philanthropic work.
“Mr Ratan Tata had taken the lead in a cancer care project where we are constructing 16 cancer hospitals under the Assam Cancer Care Foundation. The construction of 10 hospitals will be completed by this year and operationalised in April next year,” Sarma said.
“He shares a long relationship with Assam and it was he who had advised us to think of such a project. The project is being implemented with the cooperation of Tata Trust and the Assam government. The people of Assam are honouring him with this award for his contributions to the state,” the CM said.
The awards were instituted this year. The Assam Baibhav award will carry cash of Rs 5 lakh. It is Rs 4 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav awardees respectively.
The Assam Saurav award will be conferred on five personalities – Prof Kamalendu Deb Krori, Prof Dipak Chand Jain, National Health Mission, Assam, Director Dr Lakshmanan S, champion boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Neel Pawan Baruah from the field of art and culture.
Sarma also announced the names of 13 Assam Gaurav awardees. They are Director of Health Services, Assam, Munindra Nath Ngatey, professor of pulmonary medicine Dr Basanta Hazarika, entrepreneurs Akash Jyoti Gogoi, Manoj Kumar Basumatary, Bobby Hazarika, mountaineer Khorsing Terang, weaver Hemoprabha Chutia, auxiliary nurse midwife Namita Kalita, ASHA worker Bornita Momin, retired forest officer Dharanidhar Boro, agri-exporter Kaushik Boruah, Anganwadi worker Kalpana Boro and well-known haematologist and hematologic oncologist Dr Asif Iqbal.