STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The State Cabinet today abolished the wholesalers from the distribution chain of urea. It also approved an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) to streamline the fertilizer distribution system in the state.
Agriculture Minister Atul Bora said, "From now, wholesalers will not be on the urea distribution scene. We will cancel their licences. The only wholesaler in urea distribution will be the Assam Agriculture Marketing Board (AAMB). It will supply urea to the retailers. We will increase the number of retailers. We will provide retailers' licences to small tea growers' associations, big tea gardens (clubbing two to three gardens) farmers' committees and cooperative societies as they are the end beneficiaries. The government will give them Rs 20 per bag as commission. We have earmarked Rs 18 crore for this purpose."
Bora further said, "During our recent meeting with fertilizer companies, it came to light that the wholesalers had around 23,000 MT of urea in stock, but they opted not to release them in the market. The Cabinet today approved the SOP after a detailed discussion. The present wholesalers can take licences as retailers."
IPR Minister Pijush Hazarika briefed the other Cabinet decisions to the media. He said, "The government will start Mission Bhumiputra in the line of Mission Basundhara from May 12. This mission is to simplify the issuance of caste certificates for ST, SC, MOBC, OBC etc. Students of classes IX to XII will fill up their caste certificate forms in their schools this year. The government will give them their caste certificates in their schools online. From next year, a student will have to fill-up the form for caste certificate in class IX only. A student will get a caste certificate automatically if his/her father has a caste certificate. If anybody has complicacies in caste certificate, the authority concerned will dispose it within 30-45 days."
The Cabinet gave administrative approval to Rs 544 crore to set up a multi-speciality hospital in collaboration with IIT-Guwahati. This hospital will be a research centre, Hazarika said.
To construct or renovate the police quarters at the Police Reserve campus and Tenth Battalion campus in Guwahati, the Cabinet gave the administrative approval to Rs 564 crore.
The Cabinet approved 80 of the 100 promised jobs to the paper mill employees. They will get appointment letters by May 20.
The Cabinet has approved the notification of Hajong Tortoise Lake Biodiversity Area under the Dima Hasao district and Borjuli Wild Rice Site under the Sonitpur district as Biodiversity Heritage Site.
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