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Assam Cabinet Meeting At Bongaigaon; Check Out Key Decisions

Posted in Assam, Featured, Northeast

 

  • NET Web Desk

The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced key decisions during a cabinet meeting in Bongaigaon to tackle various issues across the state.

This is the second time, Assam government headed by Himanta Biswa Sarma is holding a cabinet meeting outside Guwahati. While, on September 30 this year, the cabinet held a meeting at Dhemaji, nearly 450 kilometers east from the state capital of Dispur.

According to an official statement, the cabinet has undertaken the following decisions mentioned below :

  1. Holidays will be set for state government employees along with usual holidays on 8th& 9th being second Saturday and Sunday respectively. It will be applicable to those employees who have their parents or in-laws alive.
  2. Constitution of a panel committee which will ascertain total Satra land under encroachment. The committee will be headed by MLA Pradip Hazarika, it will also have MLAs Mrinal Saikia and Rupak Sharma as members.
  3. Youth Commission will be set-up for training youth to pursue higher education and explore employment opportunities.
  4. The Culture Department will organize programmes, including national seminars to commemorate 400thdeath anniversary of Lachit Borphukan.

The Assam CM have also initiated several decisions for Bongaigaon. These include –

  1. Bongaigaon College to be upgraded into a university within 3 years.
  2. Work on Bongaigaon Medical College to begin within 5-6 months.
  3. A total amount of Rs 542 crore sanctioned for the medical college.
  4. Rs 50 Crore sanctioned for construction of Integrated DC Office.
  5. Rs 25 Crore grant-in-aid for construction of a stadium.

For the education system, decisions undertaken are given below :

  1. School education structure to be changed from existing 10+2 to 5+3+3+4.
  • 5 years (pre-school) under Directorate of Elementary Education.
  • 3 years (classes III, IV & V) under Directorate of Elementary Education.
  • 3 years (classes VI, VII & VIII) under Directorate of Education.
  • 4 years (classes IX, X, XI & XII) under Directorate of Education.
  1. The change will come into effect from 2023.

Amended Rules for Post-Graduation courses in Government Medical Colleges :

Eligibility for Admission –

  1. MBBS from medical colleges recognized by NMC/MCI.
  2. The candidate should be a permanent resident of Assam.
  3. Completion of rural posting of 1 year in Assam.

Enhancement in quota :

  1. Reservation for State Health Service Quota increased from 23 to 40, proportionate to increased PG seats.

Raising of Penalty (for surrender of allotted seats after last date of admission) :

PG Degree – Rs 10 lakh

PG Diploma – Rs 5 lakh

Earlier penalty – Rs 25,000

  1. Students after clearing their exam will get university certificate only after serving under Government of Assam for one year.
  2. 10 years of service after completion of PG, or else the candidate must pay Rs 25 lakhs in lieu; also no post service benefits will be granted to him/her after registration/VRS.
  3. The bond violation charge for PG degree will cost Rs 20 lakhs. While, for PG Diploma its Rs 15 lakhs.
  4. Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificate will be allowed to be produced till First Counselling.

Meanwhile, Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences will have two advanced increments to post-graduates (2-yr diploma holders) of SSUHS in 5 disciplines – Clinical Anaesthesiology, Maternal Health, Radiology, Paediatric Medicine and Orthopaedic.

The Cabinet meeting have also decided to give relaxation for Assam Public Service Commission (APSC).

  1. In order to remove language barriers in Civil Services exams conducted by APSC, English & Assamese papers will be withdrawn subject to fulfillment of 3 conditions :
  • Candidate must be resident of Assam.
  • Name registered in Employment Exchange in Assam.
  • Must be fluent in speaking Assamese or other recognized languages of Assam.

Reduction of e-procurement Threshold :

  1. All procurement in Assam over & above Rs 25 lakhs shall be through e-procurement mode only.

Exemptions related to the same –

  • “Emergency procurement” and “urgent works” as defined in the Assam Public Procurement Rules 2020.
  • 10 statutory Autonomous Councils of Moran, Kamatapur, Bodo Kachari Welfare, Matak, Rabha Hasong, Mising, Tiwa, Deori, Thengal Kachari and Sonowal Kachari.

Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) facilities will be delivered in Government lands :

  1. PMAY Housing for All (Urban) will be extended to occupiers of Govt lands for over 10 years, provided the persons in occupation of Govt land are eligible for settlement, and the land is found fit for settlement.
  2. Provision of cut-off date for continuous occupation in Govt land in Guwahati and other towns in case of such eligible indigenous landless persons to be amended from June 28, 2001 to June 28, 2021.

Proposed Amendment to Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Act 1971 :

  1. Government to be empowered for enhancing the number of wards through official gazette notification.
  2. Formation of a Staff Selection Committee for speedy recruitment to vacant posts in GMC.
  3. Introduction of new subjects like “acquisition of modern machinery” for drain cleaning, establishment, and maintenance of electric & gas-based cremation grounds.

Hike in Dearness Allowance (DA)/Dearness Relief (DR) :

  1. Enhancement of DA/DR @31% (28%+3%) to serving state government employees/pensioners/family pension holders/extraordinary pension holders in the revised rates, effective from July 1, 2021.
  2. Ad-valorem levy constitutes 95% of total Excise revenue, which will be rationalized & restructured in order to increase the Excise revenue collection that will consequently boost annual VAT collection. This will come into force from December 10, 2021.
  3. Framing of Assam State Food Security Rules and constitution of Assam State Food Commission.
  4. Establishment of State Food Commission to monitor and review implementation of NFSA 2013.

Meanwhile, trust will be set-up under Chairmanship of CM for welfare of victims of Assam agitation, and their families with a corpus of Rs 5 crore from state government.

Entitlement of Matrix for eligibility, compensation and assistance to persons affected due to improvement and upgradation of roads in Externally Aided Projects for secondary State Roads.

Applicable for Externally Aided Projects will be implemented under Asom Mala.

As per land allotment, the cabinet decisions undertaken are as follows :

  1. Barpeta Zila Mahila Samity – 2 katha 10 lessa in Barpeta twon for construction of its office building.
  2. Swami Vivekananda Kendriya Vidyalaya, Moran – 4 bigha VGR land in Tiloibari Nepali Gaon under Moran Revenue Circle.
  3. Assam Cricket Association – 25 bigha at Satra Baradi village under Barpeta Revenue Circle for developing cricket infrastructure.

Other key decisions include –

  1. Approval to bill for amending Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council Act 2005 to increase the no of elected members from 26 to 33.
  2. Creation of a Special Unit – Research & Analysis Cell (R&AC) under Special Branch, Assam Police for special covert and overt operations.
  3. Separate draft recruitment rules for Constables and Sub-Inspectors for Commandos of Assam Commando Battalions.
  4. Each power utility – APDCL, AEGCL will have Independent Chairperson with an objective of attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in power sector of Assam.

Ahead of the Cabinet meet, the Assam CM released reports on Project Sampoorna, Samagra Shiksha, Project Saubhagya, Flood and Integrated Urban Infrastructure Management & Renewal Programme, which will highlight achievements of district admin in implementation of the projects.

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