A JOURNEY INTO THE PAST…

Guwahati, projected as the literary and cultural capital of Assam lacked a modern and sophisticated state of the art infrastructure for its literary and cultural activities.

The thought of having such an infrastructure was initially conceived in 1988 and a board based society of cultural activists artists was formed under the banner of the Sanskriti Prakalpa Nirman Samity (S.P.N.S) in 1989 with Late Baneshwar Sarma, as its founder President and later by Late Girish Ch. Choudhury and thereafter noted litterateur and theatre personality Sri Ram Goswami.

The shifting of the private bus stand from Machkhowa to Adabari gave the”thought” a fillip and the GoA was approached to have the land requisitioned for a Cultural Complex.It was in September 1992 the Government of Assam allotted land measuring, 4-B-1K-12Ls to the SPNS for construction of a Modern Cultural Complex.

Finance for such an ambitious cultural project was a challenge,however, at the behest of the then Chief Minister of Assam, Sri Hiteshwar Saikia, the Indian Tea Association (ITA)under the Chairmanship of Shri H.P.Barooah,came forward to finance the construction of the Cultural Complex as an one-time gift to the people of Assam.

The foundation stone of this proposed Cultural Complex was laid by the then Chief Minister of Assam Late Hiteshwar Saikia on 15thJanuary 1993.
A 21 member Trust, named ‘Assam Cultural Trust’ with the representations from the S.P.N.S(Later Sanskritik Samaj), the I.T.A. and the Govt. of Assam, was constituted and duly registered on 5-2-1995 as the Assam Cultural Trust.To take charge of its operations and maintenance post construction and manage the affairs of the Trust on a self sustaining basis,which continues so till date.

The financial crisis in the Tea Industry however,bought the construction to a halt in 2001and only with the financial support of the then Chief Minister Shri.Tarun Gogoi,this Minister of State P&D Shri.Hemanta Biswa Sharma,the then Chairman Tea Board,Shri.Naba Das,IAS with the active intervention of The Secretary ABITA,Dhiraj Kakati,the Cultural Complex was inaugurated on 3rd October 2004.

The Cultural Complex named PRAGJYOTI(Lights of the East)-I.T.A. Centre for performing has the following major components:
1. Centrally A-C. main auditorium with state of the art accostics and lighting system. Seating capacity 1000.
2. Seminar/Conference Hall- seating capacity 200.
3. Medium size Air-conditioned Art-Gallery.
4. A large Lobby for Exhibitions etc. Pragjyoti, is actively associated with the promotion of cultural activities of the region.

Present Trustees of Assam Cultural Trust
1. Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Chief Minister & Chairman
2. Shri Naba Kr. Doley, Special Invitee, Hon’ble Minister of Culture & Vice-chairman
3. Shri Dhiraj Kakati, Secretary
4. Shri Iftikar Ali, Treasurer

Members
1. Shri Hrishikesh Goswami, Media Advise to CM
2. Shri Preetom Saikia,IAS Commissioner & Secretary Cultural Affairs, Assam
3. Shri.B.Pegu,ACS Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro)
4. Shri Bishnu Kamal Borah, ACS Director of Cultural Affairs, Assam
5. Dr. Jay kanta Sarma
6. Shri. Shankar Das
7. Chairman, ABITA
8. Secretary, ABITA
9. Shri.P.K Borkakoty
10. Shri.Bolin Bordoloi
11. Shri.Swapnanil Barua
12. Shri MK Barooah
13. Shri.Kriti Kamal Bhuyan
14. Shri.Arup Goswami
15. Shri.Masaddar Hussain
16. Shri Safikur Rahman
17. Shri.Tonmona Choudhury
18. Shri.Khaled Omer