Eight religious places in Barak Valley’s Hailakandi district have been included under the Asom Darshan scheme for major facelift.

The Assam government has allocated Rs 10 lakh each for improving amenities and infrastructure development at Siddeshwar Shiva Mandir, Gauriya Math, Gopal Govinda Jews Ashram, Harinam Mandir, Lengti Baba Mandir, Miraping Dargah, Presbyterian Church of India (Garod Punji) and Tantoo Peer Mandir.

Drinking water, public toilet, rooms for pilgrims, car parking and installation of CCTV cameras for enhanced security will be developed in the first phase followed by construction of a boundary wall, internal pavement, park-cum-garden, mini-museum, library and electrification in the second phase.

A meeting was held under the chairmanship of additional deputy commissioner E.L. Faihraem at the deputy commissioner’s conference hall here on Thursday to discuss the issues relating to photographic documentation of the religious places for submission to the government. Faihraem asked the president and secretaries of the religious places to submit the information by January 24.

Faihraem asked the office-bearers to submit the list containing the names of five persons from each religious institution who will visit Guwahati to attend the ceremonial launch of the scheme by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal at Sarusajai stadium on February 1.

The district administration will bear the transportation cost for the journey.

Over 1,000 religious and historical places, and places of tourist interest in the state will be given grant for facelift.

An amount of Rs 300 crore had been earmarked for the purpose in the 2019-20 budget.