Assam Cabinet Announces Historic Rs 3,600 Crore DBT for Orunodoi Beneficiaries

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: In what can be called largesse, the Assam Cabinet took a slew of decisions today benefiting people belonging to several classes, including ASHA workers, Orunodoi beneficiaries, tea workers and others.

The cabinet decided to hold a DBT (Direct Bank Transfer) involving the highest-ever amount in a single day on March 10, 2026. Each of the 39.70 lakh Orunodoi beneficiaries will get Rs 9,000 in their respective bank accounts. The government will have to bear Rs 3,600 crore for this.

The cabinet decided the interim enhancement of Rs 30 of tea workers’ daily wage to be effective from April 1, 2026. This enhancement will let tea workers in the Brahmaputra Valley get Rs 280 per day and those of Barak Valley Rs 258 per day. Their daily wages will increase further after the implementation of the Centre’s labour code.

The Cabinet took a decision to provide scooties to 33,656 ASHA workers and 2,570 ASHA supervisors.

The Cabinet approved Rs 519 crore to PWD for the construction of 291 roads.

The Cabinet approved the proposals to set up an integrated shipyard and container manufacturing unit at Dharapur, to be set up by Bharat A to Z Company, which invested Rs 475 crore in this project.

The Cabinet decided to decentralize some power to BTC, KAAC, and DHAC. From now on, these autonomous councils will be empowered to invite tenders up to Rs 10 crore in the PWD, Water Resources, and Irrigation departments.

The Cabinet decided to set up an Agriculture College at Patharkandi with a cost of Rs 122 crore. This will be the first agriculture college in the Barak Valley.

The cabinet approved the setting up of a five-star hotel at Polo Tower in Silchar with an investment of Rs 103 crore.

The cabinet decided to allot eight bighas of land to the Chutia Students’ Union to set up girls’ and boys’ hostels near the Sati Sadhini University in Golaghat.

The cabinet decided to extend the service period of contractual employees of the P&RD department’s establishments to 60 years. The contractual workers exceeding 45 years of age will get this benefit.

The cabinet decided to offer a Grade III job to the widow of renowned artiste Rajib Sadiya, who had passed away on January 13, 2025.

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