Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi honours 18 with state civilian awards

GUWAHATI: Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi presented the state’s civilian awards to 18 recipients for their remarkable contribution in different fields at a function held here in Guwahati on Monday. However, the state’s highest civilian award, Assam Baibhav, will be conferred to industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Naval Tata later in Mumbai as he could not attend the ceremony due to his health issues.
The awardees included former principal of Cotton College and Indian theoretical physicist Kamalendu Deb Krori, renowned artist Neel Pawan Baruah, National Health Mission, Assam mission director, Lakshmanan S and Olympics medalist Lovlina Borgohain.
A total of five personalities were awarded with the Assam Saurav and 13 with Assam Gaurav awards.
After the event, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The idea was to give recognition to the personalities and honour them for their numerous contributions in different fields. The highest civilian award of the state, Assam Baibhav, was conferred on Ratan Naval Tata. However, he could not grace the occasion owing to health issues. We will present the award to him in Mumbai soon.”
The CM said most of the award winners were unsung heros. “Many were not known to people. They have been working silently. It was a humble attempt to honour them and I believe this will encourage a generation of Assamese people to work more in their respective fields,” he added.
He said the recipients were selected on the basis of people’s suggestions and feedback. “From next year, a portal will be launched four months ahead of the award ceremony, where people can give suggestions or feedback or information regarding people doing excellence in different fields. We will decide and confer the awards based on the nomination by people of the state,” he added.
He said that the the names of award recipients will be announced on the occasion of Asom Divas, celebrated on December 2, and the awards will be presented to them on a convenient day.