Assam Government Employees to Receive Rs 1,000 Incentive to Buy Books in Book Fair

Nalbari: The Assam government has announced a Rs 1,000 incentive for every government employee in Nalbari district who purchases books worth Rs 1,000 from the Book Fair, organised as part of the Nalbari Raas Festival. The announcement was made by Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu, who inaugurated the book fair on Thursday, in line with government's "Year of Books" initiative.

“To encourage reading, government employees in Nalbari will receive Rs 1,000 when they purchase books worth the said amount and above at the fair. Through this initiative, we hope to strengthen both knowledge and cultural appreciation,” Pegu said. The book fair, which has been a regular feature of the Nalbari Raas Festival since 2017, aims to combine cultural celebration with literary engagement. Minister Pegu added that the move reflects the government’s commitment to nurturing intellectual growth alongside cultural traditions.

“Since 2017, the Nalbari Raas Festival has hosted a book fair that draws thousands of visitors. Under the Assam Prakashan Parishad, we have planned to hold such book fairs across the State, and this is one such collaboration to make it more impactful,” Pegu said.

Central team begins review elaborating on the logistics of the scheme, Assam Prakashan Parishad Secretary Pramod Kalita said that proper verification measures will be in place to ensure transparency. "Every purchase will bear an official seal and receipt to prevent misuse. Nalbari has around 8,000 government employees, so we are targeting book sales of at least Rs 80 lakh this year. We expect this initiative to make the fair a major success,” Kalita explained. Kalita added that the Raas Committee partnered with the Assam Prakashan Parishad to organise this year’s fair, which features 20 stalls showcasing a diverse range of Assamese and regional literature. The Nalbari Book Fair will continue till November 17.

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