Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 16 (ANI): The first session of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly will commence on 21 May, the Chief Minister's Office confirmed on Friday. This will be the first session of the state legislative assembly following the conclusion of assembly elections on May 4.

'In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (1) of the Article 174 of the Constitution of India, as amended up-to-date, I, Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Governor of Assam, hereby summon the First Session of the Sixteenth Assam Legislative Assembly to meet at 9.30 A.M. on Thursday, the 21st May, 2026, at the Assembly Chamber in Dispur,' the order stated.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday also held a marathon meeting with officials of various departments to move towards the goal of 'Viksit Assam'. The meeting focuses on key sectors, including Food & Public Distribution, Finance and Public Works Department.

In an X post, he said, 'Just concluded a six-hour marathon meeting with officials of various departments to bring back the momentum in our governance and development initiatives so that we can be steadfast in our goal of Viksit Assam.'

On the Food & Public Distribution Department, he highlighted the assessment of the paddy procurement, stating that officials are directed to ensure that farmers are 'fairly rewarded' for their work.

'I assessed the status of paddy procurement from our farmers. I have instructed officials to make the procurement process farmer-friendly and to break our own records to ensure that Assam's Annadatas are fairly rewarded for their hard work,' he said.

Emphasing his focus on state finance, he said, 'I reviewed the status of key programmes of our Govt. Ahead of the full budget, I also took stock of the fiscal health of the State and how we can incorporate the path to fulfil the promises made to our people.'

For the PWD Department, he stated, 'I reviewed progress of flagship schemes such as Asom Mala and other major connectivity schemes across Assam. I have asked officials to boost the pace of construction of roads and bridges with focus on quality, so that every part of Assam is well connected. With the working of NDA 3.0 Govt in full swing now, I expect all officials to speed up implementation of our schemes and projects so that we can give pace to our goal of building a New Assam.'

On Thursday, Sarma reviewed the progress of several major development initiatives aimed at balancing the state's 'Vikas and Virasat' agenda, including 24x7 power supply, the Maa Kamakhya Corridor project and investment proposals under Advantage Assam 2.0.

Following the elections and the Chief Minister's oath-taking on May 12, the NDA alliance government convened its first Cabinet meeting on May 13. In this session, a resolute decision was adopted to implement all 31 promises enshrined in the manifesto in 'letter and spirit' over the next five years. (ANI)