Summary:
Guwahati, Jan 24 (PTI) From COVID frontline workers to entrepreneurs to conservationists – the Assam government on Monday bestowed its highest civilian awards to 19 people from diverse fields in the first year of these recognitions.
While industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata was honoured with the newly-instituted highest civilian award of the state ‘Assam Baibhav’, five others were bestowed with ‘Assam Saurav’ and 13 with ‘Assam Gaurav’ awards.
Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi presented the awards at a function here, attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and a host of other dignitaries.
Tata was unable to attend the ceremony in person and sent out a letter to Sarma, thanking the state government for the award.
He shall be receiving it from the chief minister in Mumbai later.
One of the ‘Assam Saurav’ awardee Prof Dipak Chand Jain, a noted academician, was also absent on the occasion as he is abroad, Sarma had said earlier.