GUWAHATI: Former MP and Assam’s veteran politician Bijoya Chakravarty has been honoured with Padma Shri by the central government on the eve of Republic Day celebrations. Chakravarty has been awarded for her social service. She is among the eight recipients of Padma Shri from Assam this year.
Expressing her happiness, the former MP said, “This nonour is to Assam as well as the women of Assam. I express my gratitude to the central and state governments. I thank PM Narendra Modi. I thank the people of Assam, especially the women society for their blessings.”
Bijoya Chakravarty who hails from upper Assam’s Jorhat began her political career in the Janata Party. She subsequently joined the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and served in the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1992. Later, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
She was elected from the Guwahati constituency in the 13th Lok Sabha. Chakravarty won this seat for the BJP for the first time ever in 1999.
Under the premiership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she served as the Union Minister of State for Water Resources. She again won the seat in 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections representing the BJP.
Altogether eight personalities from Assam have been conferred the Padma Shri award. Social workers Birubala Rabha and Lakhimi Baruah, Satriya artiste Gopiram Bargayan Burhabhakat, poet-writer Mangal Singh Hazowary, folk singer Dulal Manki, litterateur Imran Shah and writer-columnist Roman Sarmah have been honoured with the award.
On the other hand, former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has been named for Padma Bhushan award posthumously.
Read: PADMA BHUSHAN TO FORMER ASSAM CM TARUN GOGOI
PADMA SHRI TO EIGHT DISTINGUISHED PERSONALITIES FROM ASSAM
