Guwahati: BJP leader Chandra Mohan Patowary was sworn in as the Pro-tem Speaker of the newly constituted 16th Assam Legislative Assembly on Friday.The first Assembly session is likely to take place later this month. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath to Patowary at Lok Bhavan in Guwahati.The Assam Governor expressed confidence in Patowary’s ability to conduct the initial proceedings of the Assembly with constitutional dignity. “Today at Lok Bhavan, Assam, Chandramohan Patowary was administered the oath as the Pro-tem Speaker of the newly constituted 16th Assam Legislative Assembly. I am confident that, with his vast experience and commitment to democratic values, the initial proceedings of the Assembly will be conducted with full constitutional dignity,” he said.Patowary said he has been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the swearing-in of newly elected MLAs during the Assembly session beginning May 21. “I have been appointed as the Pro-tem Speaker for the Assembly session scheduled from May 21 by the Assam Governor. I have been assigned the responsibility to oversee the oath-taking of MLAs,” he said.Patowary will administer the oath to all newly elected legislators of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly and conduct proceedings until the election of the full-time Speaker. Following the swearing-in of MLAs, the Assembly will elect its Speaker, who will then preside over House proceedings for the remainder of the term.The ruling NDA has announced former minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass as its candidate for the Speaker’s post.Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma chaired a series of high-level review meetings focusing on industrial growth and strengthening the state’s power infrastructure ahead of the anticipated rise in summer electricity demand.Sarma reviewed the implementation status of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed during Advantage Assam 2.0 and directed officials to extend swift support to industries currently at different stages of establishment. “Today, I examined the status of these projects and I’m happy to report that over 60% of investment commitments are in advanced stages of implementation, with some already operational,” he said. “In the coming months, I will personally reach out to industry leaders and stakeholders to ensure further progress.”Sarma also said on Friday that the newly constituted Satra Aayog would soon begin its work and play a crucial role in addressing encroachment issues and the development of satras across the state.Speaking during his visit to the Batadrava Thaan, the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, for the first time after taking oath for his second term, Sarma said the government was committed to strengthening and preserving Assam’s spiritual and cultural heritage through structured institutional intervention.The Chief Minister also outlined the government’s broader planning process ahead of the Budget Session scheduled for July 5–6. “There was no Budget Session in February and March. Before the July 5–6 session, we will hold meetings with different departments regarding the five-year plan. We will review pending projects, discuss plans that could not be implemented earlier, and gather suggestions from various stakeholders so that people’s aspirations are reflected in the budget,” he said.