SAARC rally to enter Asom on March 21

Guwahati, Mar 16 (UNI) The South Asian Car Rally which is already on the roll through Bangladesh will pass through Asom on March 21 after crossing Bhutan.

The rally is being organised as a run up to the 14th SAARC summit to be held in New Delhi during April third and fourth on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's initiative.

The prime movers behind the car rally is Ministry of External Affairs, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and SAARC secretariat.

Asom chief secretary P C Sharma today informed that the rally that flagged off from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh would pass through Asom from Bhutan before it enters West Bengal.

The 30-vehicle rally with 110 participants would enter Asom from Bhutan at Gelephu at 0730 hrs on March 21. It would reach Guwahati the same day after traveling through districts of Chirang, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro).

A cultural programme would be organised after which Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi would host a dinner for the participants.

The rally would culminate at Maldives after passing through other SAARC member countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Participants from Afghanistan would join the rally in New Delhi.

UNI