The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill to create a Safai Karamchari Commission and decisions related to providing financial benefits to pregnant women, monitoring drug prices, protecting Safai Karmacharis’ rights and filling up vacancies in the Forest Department were also taken in the meeting.
For the first time in the history of Assam, the State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held the meeting at the historic Gandhi Mandap in Guwahati.
The Assam Cabinet also renamed the Dergaon Police Academy as Lachit Barphukan Police Academy.
The Chief Minister said as the site is dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, holding the meeting there provided us with the necessary motivation to carry out our constitutional obligations.
Addressing a press conference after the state cabinet meeting, the Assam Chief Minister said that Guwahati Smart City Limited had installed a beautiful sound and light show at Gandhi Mandap and it was started from October two this year.
“Today we will witness the sound and light show at Gandhi Mandap. We want to make public awareness through this so that other people and students will come here and see the sound and light show. We had made more improvements of the Gandhi Mandap situated atop Sarania Hills. I appeal to the people of Assam to come to Sarania Hills. We held the state cabinet meeting here to make public awareness. Today’s cabinet has taken several important decisions,” Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Announcing the cabinet decisions, the Assam Chief Minister said that, earlier, the state cabinet had decided to introduce Adarani Seva for pregnant women, but many people don’t use Adarani Seva.
“Today, we have decided to transfer Rs 700 to all pregnant women to their bank accounts and around 5 lakh pregnant women of the state will get the benefit. We have approved Rs 361 crore for BTC as the first installment under the annual budget. The state cabinet has approved to set up Safai Karmachari Aayog for Safai workers for their development,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
He further said that from 1985 many jawans of Assam police were killed and the state government had given financial assistance to their families but didn’t able to provide government jobs to the next kin of the martyred jawans.
“Those families who already got government jobs will not get government jobs again, but for those who not got jobs, our government will provide government jobs to each family. Nearly 400 families of police martyrs will get benefit from this,” he said.
Sarma further said that the state cabinet has approved Rs 525 crore for the construction of 162 new police stations in the state under the Moitry scheme.
“We will build a new integrated police station at Palasbari where quarters of officers, and staff will be there,” the Assam Chief Minister said.
He also said that there will be no more optional papers in the Combined Competitive Examination conducted by Assam Public Service Commission (APSC).
“The Chairman, members of APSC will get benefits under the 7th Pay commission. The state cabinet has decided to reserve 2 per cent posts of Grade – I and II for ex-army,” he said.
He said the Assam Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (APDCL) and ONGC will jointly establish a 250 MW solar power project for which the state cabinet has approved Rs 285 crore to APDCL.
“40 lakh more people of the state will get ration cards. 3rd Assam Forest Battalion will be set up in Lakhimpur and 1100 new posts will be created. 1700 vacant posts will be filled up in the forest department. The education department will advertise for filling up 6,000-7,000 regular and contractual posts – 530 contractual posts in the education department, before December 30. We have already given appointment letters of 40,000 and for results will be declared of another 30,000 posts and we will advertise for another 30,000 posts,” said CM Saram.
He further said that the state cabinet has approved renaming the Assam Police Academy, Dergaon as Lachit Borphukan Police Academy, Dergaon.
