The Assam government has informed the Legislative Assembly that the Act East Policy Affairs Department does not implement any independent projects and therefore has no project-wise fund allocation or implementation progress to report.Replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Wajed Ali Choudhury during the Assembly session on Thursday, Act East Policy Affairs Minister Bimal Bora said the department primarily functions as a facilitator for international engagement, policy dialogue and regional cooperation under India’s Act East Policy, rather than as an implementing agency.The minister said the department’s expenditure has been directed towards organising international conferences, diplomatic exchanges, academic programmes and policy discussions aimed at strengthening Assam’s engagement with neighbouring countries and Southeast Asia. Since 2022, these initiatives have involved an expenditure of more than Rs 1.70 crore.According to the Assembly reply, one of the department’s major initiatives was the “Act East Through Northeast” Conclave, organised in Guwahati on May 27, 2022, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs to mark 30 years of India-ASEAN relations.
The conclave brought together the Chief Minister, Union ministers, senior government officials, ambassadors and high commissioners from ASEAN countries and policymakers. Discussions focused on improving road, rail, inland waterways, air and digital connectivity between Northeast India and ASEAN nations, while also exploring cooperation in tourism, tea, textiles and exports of products such as bamboo and garlic.On May 28 and 29, 2022, the department jointly organised the NADI 3.0 Conference with the Ministry of External Affairs and Asian Confluence. The conference focused on water management, river conservation and regional cooperation among countries in the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.The inaugural session was attended by External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, former Bangladesh Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen, former Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the then departmental minister Chandra Mohan Patowary. The government informed the House that the combined expenditure on the two events was Rs 1,23,50,548. The Assembly was also told that a 25-member delegation from Bangladesh visited Assam from June 16 to 20, 2022, as part of celebrations marking Bangladesh’s 50th year of independence and India’s Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The delegation, comprising freedom fighters, journalists and youth representatives, visited cultural, religious and historical sites before interacting with the Chief Minister, the departmental minister, the Chief Secretary and other senior officials. The programme involved an expenditure of Rs 10,99,710.
On February 16, 2024, the department organised the “Act East Through Assam: Connectivity Conclave” in Guwahati to discuss economic corridors linking Northeast India with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The conclave focused on regional trade, connectivity and economic cooperation and incurred an expenditure of Rs 26,07,977. The Assembly reply further stated that a 32-member delegation from Thailand met senior Assam government officials on September 23, 2024, to discuss collaboration under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The discussions covered industry partnerships, tourism, trade, investment, cultural and language exchanges, vocational education, student and faculty exchange programmes, scholarships and research cooperation. The programme cost Rs 20,660. The department also supported the fifth India-Japan Intellectual Conclave (Kizuna-5) held on February 6 and 7, 2025, which focused on cooperation in technology, education and logistics. In June 2025, a core team from Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City visited Assam to explore collaboration in sustainable development, technology, spirituality and regional connectivity. The combined expenditure on these engagements was Rs 10 lakh. As part of its academic outreach, the department partnered with Royal Global University on March 10, 2026, to organise a quiz and debate competition titled “Youth Interaction with the Act East Policy and Assam’s Emerging Role”, aimed at creating awareness among students about the policy. The programme cost Rs 5 lakh. Two days later, on March 12, 2026, the department collaborated with the Department of Political Science at Cotton University to organise an international conclave titled “Assam in Act East Policy: Gateway, Catalyst and Bridge to the East”. The event involved an expenditure of Rs 4,98,212.
