Guwahati: British Minister for Cultural Affairs and Director of British Council Alan Gemmell today met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal here and expressed his keenness to partner with the state government in the fields of education, tourism, culture, skill development and sports.
Gemmell told the Chief Minister that the British Council would focus on skill development of the youth and on English language training to prepare them for different vocations.
He said a plan is on the anvil to train 12,000 teachers in English language in the state.
Gemmell said the British Council has a range of programmes that would help hone the skills of the youth of Assam, Meghalaya and other states of the North East.
Welcoming the move of the British Council to extend help to Assam in different sectors, Sonowal pointed out that the state has enormous potential in tourism sector as it is blessed by nature abundantly.
“Youth is power and our Government wants to exploit their full potential to bring about a sea change in our economy and other fields,” he said.
Asking Gemmell to come up with an action plan of programmes in which the Government of Assam could partner with the British Council, Sonowal said, “In Assam we have a rich legacy with the Britishers as it was they who contributed towards the industrial development of the state by setting up the oldest refinery of Asia in Digboi.”
The Chief Minister said an agenda has to be set up by forging ties in various sectors to take forward the relationship to greater heights.
Sonowal said games like Cricket can be promoted in Assam with the help of UK through the British Council.
The state government would like to collaborate with the British Council in diary, agriculture, horticulture and floriculture sectors in which Assam has huge potential, Sonowal told Gemmell.