Assam Cabinet decisions with State's tradition and flavour

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Call it trendsetting or otherwise, the State Cabinet took a slew of decisions– right from instituting best employees' awards to serving traditional Assamese snacks at all government meetings and programmes. The Cabinet decisions taken on Wednesday are redolent of the State's tradition and flavour.

Addressing the press, Information and Public Relations) Minister Pijush Hazarika, Power Minister Bimal Borah and Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said that from Thursday all government meetings and programmes would start with the State's anthem 'O mor apunar dekh...' and end with the national anthem 'Jana gana mano...'

According to the trio, the other important decisions taken by the Cabinet on Wednesday are –

(i) The government will use only hand-woven 'gamosa', instead of its machine-woven evil twin, to felicitate any personalities in its all official programmes.

(ii) To promote the State's women self-help groups, the government will serve only traditional Assamese snacks like 'ladu', 'pitha' etc., instead of other sweets at all government meetings and programmes.

(iii) The government will observe July 28, the death anniversary of Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phukan, as the Desh Bhakti Divas every year.

(iv) The State government will observe August 5, the death anniversary of Lokapriya Gopinath Bardaloi, as the Karmachari Divas (Employees Day) every year. Based on the performances of the non-gazetted employees the government will award five employees in each district and ten employees at the State level as the best employees every year. Each of the best employees will get a one-year extension of service.

(v) The Cabinet also decided to extend the validity period of the TET (Teachers Eligibility Test) certificate from the current seven years to a lifetime. However, the TET-qualified candidates will have job opportunities till the government's fixed upper-age limit.

(vi) All government employees will have to clear their power dues up to July 2021 and declare that in writing before their respective departments. They, however, won't have to make any such declaration after that as the APDCL (Assam Power Distribution Company) will treat them as general consumers with the liberty to cut power connections, if they default payment.

(vii) All guardian ministers and guardian secretaries will have to tour the seven districts declared as total containment zones to take stock of the COVID-19 situation.

Also read: Guwahati Still Not Out Of Coronavirus Grip: Health Minister Keshab Mahanta