Assam Cabinet wants BTC polls in December 2020

GUWAHATI: The State Cabinet took several decisions on Wednesday. Two major ones are requesting the SEC (State Election Commission) to hold the BTC elections by December 2020; and not to rope in any private agency in the recruitment processes of the departments.

The other decisions are as follows:

(i) Creation of a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council including the Bodo-dominated villages outside the Sixth Schedule areas in the State;

(ii) Giving Bodo the status of Associate Official Language in Assam through an Ordinance;

(iii) Requesting the BTC authority to use Assamese along with Bodo and English in signboards in the BTR;

(iv) Regularization of 4,534 irregularly appointed teachers' posts;

(v) Increasing the strength of members in various development councils from 25 to 45;

(vi) Hiking the remuneration of gaonburhas (GBs) from the existing Rs 6,500 to Rs 9,000 per month with retrospective effect from April 1, 2020;

(vii) Day boarding and free uniform for the students of 428 tea garden-managed schools;

(viii) Students of Barak Valley who haven't studied Assamese, Bengali or Bodo need not appear in qualifying languages in APSC's (Assam Public Service Commission) combined examinations;

(ix) Increasing the number of women members in the APSC;

(x) Extending Rs 50,000 as capital subsidies to self-help groups under the Kanaklata Women Empowerment Scheme;

(xi) Giving Cabinet rank to the Advocate General of Assam;

(xii) Increase of assurance benefit payable under the Assam Tea Plantation Provident Fund Scheme from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh;

(xiii) Approval to the earlier announced Assam Tea Industries Special Incentive Schemes, 2020.

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