Assam: State Cabinet Takes a Slew of Decisions

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Assam Cabinet took several decisions regarding relief to the salaried middle class, extending forest areas, ensuring better child care, the setting up of a medical college in Darrang, boosting the income of farmers, etc.

The cabinet today approved the notification to exempt the payment of professional tax up to the salary of Rs 15,000.

The Cabinet approved the extension of the tax exemption given to the tea industry from payment of cess on green tea leaf for a further period of two years from January 1, 2025.

In the case of single male employees who are widowers or divorcees having custody of a child, they will get child care leave of a maximum of two years. The Cabinet has approved the relevant amendment of child care leave rules to allow child care leave to single male employees.

The Cabinet decided on the government contributing an additional support price apart from MSP (minimum support price) for paddy and mustard to the farmers. At present, MSP for paddy is Rs 2,300 per quintal, and the state government will pay an additional amount of Rs 250 per quintal. Likewise, the MSP for mustard is Rs 5950 per quintal, and the state government will pay an additional amount of Rs 500 per quintal to the farmers.

The Cabinet approved Rs 572 crore to set up a new medical college and hospital in Darrang. Additionally, the Cabinet has decided to add a B.Sc. Nursing school and GNM school alongside the medical college project. The Cabinet also decided to create a new section - health and education - in the PWD apart from the existing road and building sections. The new section will only look into the construction of schools, colleges, hospitals, medical colleges, etc.

The Cabinet approved the conversion of Nayekgaon proposed reserved forest under the BTR, covering a total area of 477 hectares, into a reserved forest of 180 hectares. The remaining 297 hectares of the proposed reserved forest will be revenue land.

Every LAC in the state will have a block primary health centre. The Cabinet approved this.

The cabinet also approved the extension of the validity period of licenses of all fair price shops in the state up to June 30, 2026.

To streamline activities and have a common nodal point for more effective and coordinated efforts to combat climate change in Assam, the Cabinet has approved renaming the Science, Technology and Climate Change Department as the Science and Technology Department and the renaming of the Environment and Forest Department as the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department and declaring it the nodal department for climate change-related activities.

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