Assam medical, engineering colleges to reserve seats for govt school students: Himanta Biswa Sarma

TINSUKIA: The Assam government on Friday decided to reserve seats for government school-educated students in medical and engineering colleges of the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The decision was taken at the state Cabinet meeting, chaired by the chief minister, in this eastern Assam town.

Briefing reporters at the end of the meeting, the CM said the decision to reserve seats for government school pass-outs was taken to encourage more enrolment in these schools. "We have decided to reserve five per cent seats in medical and engineering colleges for students who have studied in government schools from class 7 to 12," he said.

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To boost industrial growth in the state, the cabinet has approved Rs 438 crore for three projects under the state industrial policy, he said. The three projects are a bamboo crash barrier manufacturing unit by Bhagyashree Udyog in Bongaigaon, a hotel by Tata group in Kaziranga and a second Radison Blu hotel in Guwahati. Sarma said these three projects will together create at least 1,400 new jobs. He also said that a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Authority will be formed, headed by an IAS officer, to attract investment of more CSR funds in the state.

To simplify land-related issues, the cabinet decided to harmonise different types of land into five categories, the CM said. "At present, there are about 100 nomenclatures to categorise different types of lands. This leads to confusion among the people. Henceforth, all land will be placed under five categories," he said. He also said that about 2.25 lakh people are expected to have their land-related issues settled by the end of Mission Basundhara 2.0, which will conclude at the end of this month.

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The cabinet also approved Rs 100 crore for payment of pending provident fund dues to workers of Assam Tea Corporation Ltd gardens, Sarma said, adding that after this, another Rs 100 crore in pending dues will be left and the government is trying to clear it by next year.

Among other decisions taken are increasing the upper age limit for public prosecutors and additional public prosecutors by five years, sanction of land for an institute of chartered accountants of India in North Guwahati and granting ration cards to retired fourth-grade government employees.

The chief minister also said several decisions targeted at the development of Tinsukia district were also taken at the meeting. Among various projects approved are a multi-level car parking, an interstate bus terminus and a truck terminal in Tinsukia town, and several roads, bridges, stadium and other construction proposals for other parts of the district too. Sarma also said the next cabinet meeting will be held in Lakhimpur in January and in Nalbari in February, in keeping with his government's decision to hold the sitting in different parts of the state.