Guwahati, Apr 19 (PTI) Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday and invited him to the year-long celebration of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary, beginning in September.

Hazarika was born on September 8, 1926, and the Assam cabinet had recently decided to hold a year-long celebration of the music maestro.

”It was my privilege to meet Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji in New Delhi today. I had the honour of inviting him to Assam as the Chief Guest for the inaugural ceremony of the year-long celebration of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary,” Sarma posted on X.

Events across India, release of Hazarika’s biography and commemorative coin among others, have been planned.

”I also took the opportunity to request his gracious presence for the inauguration of the Assam Bio-Ethanol Plant, with a production capacity of 49 KTPA ethanol, using 300 KTPA bamboo as feedstock,” the chief minister said.

Assam Bio Ethanol Private Ltd (ABEPL) is the first bio-refinery to produce fuel-grade ethanol from bamboo biomass and has been formed as a joint venture company between Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) and two Finnish companies, Fortum and Chempolis Oy.

”In addition, I also requested him to lay the foundation stones of two key infrastructure projects: the Rs 5,700 crore Guwahati Ring Road project and the Darrang Medical College and Hospital,” Sarma said.

The CM said the prime minister has “agreed to grace these important occasions on September 8, 2025”. PTI DG BDC