Digboi: The Assam Government has directed the concerned authorities to examine objections over the proposed construction of an overhead water reservoir inside the Digboi Municipal Board (DMB) campus and take appropriate action regarding the statue of late Dwijesh Chandra Devsarma.
The direction was issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (DoHUA) through an official communication dated June 23, 2026.
The letter, signed by Secretary Richand Ahmed, asked the Director of Municipal Administration, Assam, and the Chairman and Executive Officer of the Digboi Municipal Board to examine a representation submitted by former DMB Chairman Bhaskar Jiban Baruah and take necessary action.
The order was issued with the approval of the department’s Special Chief Secretary.
The development follows a memorandum submitted by Baruah to the Assam Chief Minister on May 21, raising objections to the proposed location of the overhead water reservoir.
In the memorandum, Baruah stated that the reservoir was proposed near the statue of late Dwijesh Chandra Devsarma, the founder chairman of the erstwhile Digboi Town Committee and a two-time MLA from Digboi.
He said the proposed location could affect the significance of the memorial.
Baruah stated that the statue was installed on January 20, 2014, to mark Devsarma’s birth centenary and was inaugurated by the then Governor of Meghalaya, Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary.
He also said that during his tenure as DMB Chairman between 2009 and 2014, land had been acquired for the municipal water supply project and that the designated site remained suitable for constructing the reservoir.
Digboi Municipal Board Executive Officer Aniruddha Bora said the civic body would not allow any construction that affects the dignity of the statue.
He said the board would preserve the memorial while continuing work on the water supply project and maintaining the surrounding area.
The Housing and Urban Affairs Department has forwarded its communication to the concerned authorities as well as to Baruah for information.
Officials said the technical department is yet to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) to the higher authorities.
The Digboi drinking water project resumed after remaining stalled for several years. The project is intended to improve drinking water supply across the town’s nine municipal wards.
The concerned authorities are expected to examine the representation and decide on the proposed site for the overhead reservoir.