Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 13 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that the development of Assam is very important for the overall progress of the country.

According to the President's Secretariat, she was speaking at the civic reception hosted by the Government of Assam in her honour at Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati this evening.

President said that she was touched by the love and affection received from the people of Assam.

"Through this visit, I am getting an opportunity to connect with the great traditions and achievements of India," she said.

The President thanked the people of Assam for the wonderful welcome.

"The cultural and spiritual splendour of Assam is very impressive. Extraordinary figures like Srimanta Sankaradeva and Madhabdev have enriched India's spiritual and cultural tradition and worked to unite the society. There is much to be learned from the Bodo society of this region. Amazing talents like Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnu Prasad Rabha and Bhupen Hazarika have given limitless gifts to Indian society and culture," said President Murmu.

The President said that a rainbow of India's geographical, social and cultural diversity can be seen in Assam.

"The development of Assam is very important for the overall progress of the country," she said, adding that she was happy to note that the facilities of Assam and the North Eastern Region are being made comprehensive and state-of-the-art through rapid development of infrastructure.

"This is making life easier for the people and giving new impetus to the development of industries. The government of India has given special priority to the development of the Eastern and North Eastern Regions of the country. It has adopted the Act East Policy which has linked South-East Asia with the North Eastern Region, including Assam. With this change, the development of Assam is getting an international dimension," the President said.

The President said that there is immense potential for the tourism industry in Assam. Assam attracts tourists because of its enchanting destinations like 'Manas' and 'Kaziranga'.

"The central and state governments are preparing a better eco-system for the development of tourism," she added.

She expressed confidence that the results of these efforts will be visible on a large scale in the near future and this change will generate employment opportunities for the youth.

Earlier in the day, President Murmu inaugurated the Supercomputer facility Param-Kamrupa and laboratory for the design and development of high power microwave components at IIT Guwahati.

She also inaugurated the Medical College and Hospital at Dhubri and laid the foundation stones for two Zonal Institutes of the National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Dibrugarh, Assam and Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh on occasion.

The President flagged off Agartala-Khongsang Janshatabdi Express and Agartala-Kolkata Express from Agartala Railway Station today. (ANI)