Assam Allots 70-Acre Land To ISRO For Advanced Radar Research Facility

The Assam government has provided around 200 bighas of land, nearly 70 acres, free of cost to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for setting up an advanced radar facility of the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Chandrapur near Guwahati, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.

Sarma made the announcement during the foundation stone-laying ceremony and Bhoomi Pooja for the ISTRAC Advanced Radar Research Facility (IARRF) at Chandrapur.

Assam Science and Technology Minister Keshab Mahanta, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, Dr V Narayanan, and ISTRAC Director M R Raghavendra were among those present at the event.

"Our government has provided approximately 200 bighas, or nearly 70 acres, of land to ISRO free of cost for the implementation of this project," Sarma said.

He said the Chandrapur site, where the facility is coming up, was earlier associated with a thermal power station.

"Today, the same piece of land is set to host an important national project that will help the country in many ways," the Chief Minister said.

Explaining the significance of the facility, Sarma said the radar centre would track and study activities in space and share information with the government and scientific institutions.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, he said, "ISRO has initiated the establishment of a radar centre in Guwahati. These radars will study various activities in space and disseminate knowledge to the government and other scientific bodies."

"This centre will firmly place Assam on the map in the field of space research," Sarma said.

The Chief Minister also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sanctioning the project in Assam.

"I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sanctioning this unique projects in Assam" he said.

Sarma said the facility would give Assam a larger role in India's space research activities.

"And I hope that soon Assam will emerge as a major centre for space research," he said.

He also assured ISRO of the state government's support if the facility is expanded in the future.

"Not only this land, whatever help you need for expansion of this project, the Government of Assam is ready to offer all kinds of support, and there will be no limit to this," Sarma said.

"Whatever you ask, we are ready to collaborate with you, and we want to go beyond what you are thinking as of now," he added.