CM Himanta Reviews Assam's Info & PR Department at Lok Sewa Bhawan
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
A directive to modernise how Assam talks to its citizens — that is the headline out of Lok Sewa Bhawan, Guwahati, on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The Chief Minister's Office of Assam announced that Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma reviewed the functioning of the Information, Public Relations, Printing and Stationery Department, pushing it toward sharper digital outreach and more responsive public communication.
The CM directed the department to pursue 'technology-driven public communication, stronger digital outreach, effective media engagement and responsive delivery' — a four-point mandate that signals the government's intent to move beyond conventional publicity machinery.
What the review at Lok Sewa Bhawan covered
Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati serves as the nerve centre of Assam's administrative apparatus, housing key government departments. The review, conducted directly by Dr. Sarma, is consistent with the periodic departmental performance assessments he has championed since assuming office in May 2021. The Information and Public Relations arm — which manages official publicity, media relations, and government printing — sits at the intersection of governance and citizen communication, making its modernisation a priority with tangible public reach.
Himanta's push for a digital-first communication state
Since 2021, the Assam government has pursued a broader administrative modernisation agenda, embedding digital tools across service delivery and public information systems. Applying that same lens to the communication department is a logical extension — and a pointed one. A government that cannot communicate its own schemes and decisions effectively risks those efforts going unnoticed by the very citizens they are meant to serve. The directives on 'responsive delivery' suggest the review went beyond optics, targeting the speed and reach of official information flows.