The Rehabilitation Training Centre (RTC) for surrenderees located at Tamulpur functioning under the aegis of Headquarters 107 Mountain Brigade, is one of its kind run by the Army in Lower Assam. It was felt during training at the RTC that rehabilitation of the surrenderees in the society would become a major problem. To ensure a resettlement, a project operation Beacon was conceived by Maj Gen AS Jamwal, GOC, 21 Mountain Division and executed by 10 Bihar under close supervision and guidance of Brig ND Prasad, Commander 107 Mountain Brigade.

A ten bigha village grazing reserve land, practically a waste land, was allotted by the District Commissioner Nalbari on which the project for rehabilitation of eight surrenderees commenced. Project Beacon popularly known among the surrenderees as ‘Beacon of Hope’, has instilled self-confidence among the team members who volunteered to take part in the project. This piece of unprolific land has been converted into a gold mine by the joint endeavour of Army and surrenderees. A combination of livestock, pisciculture and agriculture, the project is likely to yield sufficient profit annually once made commercial. Poultry farming, piggery, pisciculture, horticulture, betel and coconut plantation are the major highlights of this project.

This project has been funded by the Army and civil administration and is likely to become a model. Initially, there was apprehension among the surrenderees but as the project gradually took shape the enthusiasm was in abundance. Eight volunteers braved the vagaries of weather and toiled hard with the aim to complete the project in the scheduled time frame. This has already motivated a number of surrenderees to form five such ‘Farm Societies’.