The Assam government will confer the state’s highest civilian award ‘Assam Baibhav’ to industrialist, philanthropist, and a former chairman of Tata Sons Ratan Naval Tata on Monday in Guwahati.

Apart from the ‘Assam Baibhav’ award, the government will confer ‘Assam Saurav’ and ‘Assam Gaurav’ awards to 18 other personalities.

However, Ratan Tata will not be able to attend the event personally due to COVID-19 and his representative will receive the award during a programme to be held in Guwahati on Monday.

Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi and Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma will present in the programme.

In a letter to Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Ratan Tata said, “I greatly appreciate and am deeply touched by the decision of the Government of Assam to bestow on me the Assam Baibhav award for the year 2021.  I have been an admirer of your personal commitment to the wellbeing of the Assamese people and it is therefore an exceptional honour to receive this award from you.

“Thank you for understanding my inability to personally receive the award at the function to be held in Guwahati on January 24th and for your willingness to present it to me at a later date in Mumbai. It would be a pleasure to meet you and our offices could work together to find a suitable date for such meeting.”

Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that, the state government had decided to confer ‘Assam Baibhav’, ‘Assam Saurav’ and ‘Assam Gaurav’ awards, 2021 and the award ceremony programme will be held in Guwahati on Jan 24.

Assam Saurav award will be conferred to five personalities – Prof. Kamalendu Deb Krori, Dr Lakshmanan S., Prof. Dipak Chand Jain, Lovlina Borgohain and Neel Pawan Baruah and Assam Gaurav award to be conferred to Munindra Nath Ngatey, Manoj Kumar Basumatary, Hemoprabha Chutia, Dharanidhar Boro, Dr Basanta Hazarika, Khorsing Terang, Namita Kalita, Kaushik Baruah, Boby Hazarika, Akash Jyoti Gogoi, Dr Asif Iqbal, Kalpana Boro, and Bormita Momin.