Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The state cabinet today approved the conversion of two proposed reserve forests - Raikushini Proposed Reserve Forest and Tharko Nalbari Proposed Reserve Forest - in reserve forest. This move will increase the reserve forest area by 2,361 hectares in the Goalpara district.
The cabinet also approved the Assam Compressed Biogas (CBG) Policy 2026, formulated in alignment with the national model state CBG policy, for a comprehensive framework designed to convert the state's organic waste into clean energy.
Comprehensive incentive framework under the policy will provide (i) capital subsidy of Rs. 0.50 crore per TPD of installed capacity, subject to a ceiling of Rs. 20 crore per project, (ii) power tariff support of Rs. 2 per unit for 5 years, (iii) land support measures, including land allotment through dedicated land bank, concessional lease of government land, facilitation of panchayat land lease, exemption from stamp duty, registration fee and land conversion charges, (iv) fiscal support measures, including reimbursement of up to 100% of net SGST for 5 years and Interest subsidy on term loans, and (v) subsidy for biomass aggregation machinery, pollution control equipment subsidy, patent/trademark reimbursement and employment incentives.
The cabinet also approved the Assam Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Subordinate Service (Amendment) Rules, 2026, to regulate recruitment and service conditions of Veterinary Field Assistants (VFA). The amendments will ensure transparency, merit-based selection, and uniformity in recruitment and service conditions of VFA.
The state cabinet approved the Assam Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Rules, 2026 to implement Self-Certification by manufacturers (through State GATC) and third-party certification of weighing and measuring instruments as part of the government's compliance reduction and deregulation reforms, which have been drafted in line with the central government approved Test Centre (GATC) Rules.
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