Assam Cabinet takes key decisions on administrative reforms

4-lane flyover from RBI point to Noonmati

Office of Divisional Commissioner abolished

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Cabinet today took some significant decisions related to reforms in the administrative machinery.

The Cabinet approved the decisions that were taken during the recently-concluded three-day Deputy Commissioners’ conference in Tinsukia. The office of the Divisional Commissioner has been abolished and the statutory powers of the Divisional Commissioner have been transferred to the Principal Secretary, General Administrative Department (GAD). Employees and assets of the office of the Divisional Commissioner will be transferred to the respective Deputy Commissioner’s office.

There are five divisions in the State –North Assam Division, Lower Assam Division, Central Assam Division, Upper Assam Division, and Barak Valley Division.

The Deputy Commissioner of a district will now be called the District Commissioner and he will now have the power to also transfer gazetted and non-gazetted officers of the district, besides Grade-III and Grade-IV employees. However, the transfer of a gazetted officer will require the approval of the Guardian Minister of that district.

A 5.5-km four-lane flyover will be constructed in Guwahati from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) point to Noonmati, FCI Godown. For the construction of this flyover, the Cabinet today approved Rs 852 crore. The tendering process for this project has already started.

The Assam Cabinet also decided to start the Category-III of the microfinance loan waiver scheme. Category III will include borrowers whose principal amount was Rs 25,000. After this, the government will mull waiving the microfinance loans of borrowers whose principal amount is Rs 50,000 and more.

The government had rolled out a microfinance loan waiver scheme to give relief to poor women. In the first phase of this scheme, loans of 8.73 lakh borrowers were waived, and for this, the government spent Rs 1,600 crore. In the second phase, the loans of 98,000 women borrowers were waived and the government spent Rs 190 crore.

The Cabinet also approved the introduction of Santhali language as the medium of instruction at the pre-primary level in schools of the State.

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