Assam Cabinet decisions: GoM to invite CCTOA for talks

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Group of Ministers (GoM), which laid its report on the issue of according ST status for six communities in the Assam Assembly on November 29, 2025, will invite the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA) leaders to discuss the report. The state cabinet took this decision today, besides a few others.

Speaking to the media after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “The cabinet today discussed the GoM report and its discussions by various quarters in the state. The Cabinet feels that some people, especially of the CCTOA, haven’t gone through the report thoroughly and have made some statements in the media. The Cabinet believes that the GoM report will pave the way for according ST status to the six communities. The Cabinet also believes that the report won’t harm the interests of the existing ST communities in the state. A thorough reading of the report will erase all doubts. The cabinet today decided that the GoM, comprising Dr Ranoj Pegu, Keshab Mahanta and Pujush Hazarika, will invite the CCTOA leaders for a discussion on the report. The GoM will explain the report before the CCTOA leaders so as to erase misconceptions, if any, in them. If need be, I will also talk to the CCTOA leaders.” 

On other decisions, the Chief Minister said, “The family of any NHM employee will get Rs 7.50 lakh as one-time assistance against Rs 5 lakh earlier in the event of his or her death.”

The Chief Minister further said, “The state has five mini ITIs – one each at Dudhnoi, Pathsala, Rangia, Biswanath and Titabor. The cabinet approved a 35 per cent hike in the salaries of these ITI employees, besides a 6 per cent increment per year.”

The Chief Minister said that a few colleges were upgraded to universities and appointed the principals of those colleges as registrars of the universities. “Some of the registrars are about to retire. With a view to keep the continuity of the universities intact, the cabinet decided to fix three-year terms for them,” he said.

The Cabinet also approved land settlement under Mission Basundhara for 1,372 families of Dhubri, Goalpara, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Nalbari and Barpeta districts.

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