Himanta Sarma takes swipe at ‘political tourists’ over inspections of Assam schools

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a swipe at opposition-linked activists inspecting government schools, defending his government's education initiatives in tea garden areas. He highlighted 218 model schools, student enrolment, upgraded facilities and free transport to improve educational access

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday appeared to take a swipe at Opposition-linked activists and political visitors inspecting government schools in the state, asserting that his government’s efforts to improve educational facilities in remote tea garden areas would continue despite what he described as “political tourists” coming and going.

Sharing a photograph of students at a Tea Garden Model School on X, Sarma said the state government’s focus remained on providing quality educational facilities to children in some of Assam’s most remote tea-growing areas. “Just a normal day in a Tea Garden Model School somewhere in one of the remote Tea gardens of Assam. Political tourists come and go but our efforts to provide the best educational facilities to our students remains firm,” the Chief Minister posted.

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His remarks come amid the campaign by the Cockroach Janta Party, whose representatives recently visited government schools in Palasbari and Dispur constituencies as part of their ‘School Thik Karo’ initiative to assess infrastructure and facilities.

The organisation had alleged deficiencies, including damaged roofs, inadequate drinking water facilities and boundary walls at one of the schools inspected. Against this backdrop, the Assam government has been highlighting its initiatives to expand educational opportunities for children from tea garden communities, which have historically faced challenges in accessing quality education.

The state had initially announced plans to establish 200 Tea Garden Model Schools across 800 tea estates. According to government figures highlighted in June this year, 218 such schools had been established, with 199 already functional and around 40,734 students enrolled.

The government has also introduced higher secondary education in tea garden areas. In May 2025, 25 model schools were upgraded to offer Classes XI and XII, reducing the need for students to travel long distances for further education.

In another initiative, the state launched free transport and escort facilities in June 2026 for 9,714 students from Classes I to X across 198 schools in 11 districts to address connectivity barriers. The initiatives form part of the government’s broader effort to improve school infrastructure, accessibility and educational opportunities in tea garden communities.