Several Cabinet decisions taken
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam Cabinet has decided that the process of assessment and release of compensation to the flood-affected people of the state will be completed within July next.
Briefing the media after the Cabinet met here on Saturday, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said that individual Ministers have been entrusted with the responsibility of supervising the damage assessment process of each of the 17 badly-affected districts of state. These Ministers will have to camp in the districts concerned during the assessment process along with officials of Commissioner & Secretary rank, Mahanta said.
The Cabinet also directed the Water Resources Department to submit reports within July regarding the extent of embankment damage along with estimates of the required repair work, so that work can be started from August, he said.
Referring to other decisions taken at today's Cabinet meeting, the Health Minister said that 7.56 lakh new beneficiaries will be covered under the Orunodoi scheme this year. The eligibility criteria of the existing 27.7 lakh beneficiaries will also be reviewed, Mahanta added. From October, the beneficiaries will receive Rs 1,200 per month in place of the current Rs 1,000 per month.
The Assam Government also decided to start a joint venture corporation with the Indian Railways named 'Assam Railway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited', Mahanta informed. The state government will have 51 per cent stake and the Railways will have 49 per cent stake in the corporation, which will be headed by the Chief Secretary of the state. The corporation will focus on utilization of land belonging to the Railways for various developmental purposes.
It was also decided at the Cabinet meeting to launch a scheme called 'Swanirbharshil Nari' for the welfare of weavers of the state on July 15. The cloth spun by weavers who enroll under the scheme will be purchased by the state government at fixed prices. As many as 29 traditional attires of various ethnic communities of the state will be included under this scheme, Mahanta said.
The Minister further said that the government will try to release the pending dues, amounting to Rs 126 crore, of the employees of the two paper mills of Assam within June itself.
The Cabinet also sanctioned an amount of Rs 150 crore for setting up polytechnic institutes at Hajo, Majuli and Tingkhong, he said.
Mahanta said that the Cabinet also approved simplification of rules pertaining to transfer of teachers. Further, the daily penalty imposed for delay in payment of motor vehicle tax has been reduced. The daily penalty was Rs 50 and it has been reduced to Rs 10 in case of two-wheelers and three-wheelers, Rs 15 in case of commercial vehicles, Rs 20 in case of private vehicles and Rs 25 in case of heavy vehicles.
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