Guwahati:
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam cabinet has approved a 12 per cent reservation for Agniveers in constable-level recruitment in several state government departments, besides introducing a Green Tax on the sale and transfer of certain older vehicles.
The Agniveer quota will cover recruitment to Assam Police AB (Armed Branch) and UB (Unarmed Branch) constable posts, commando personnel, jail warders, firemen, State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) constables, forest guards and excise constables. The reservation will be available only to Agniveers who are permanent residents of Assam. Agniveers from other states will not qualify for the quota simply because they have completed military service.
Sarma said the move was intended to make use of the training and experience gained by Agniveers during their four-year service and bring them into the state’s uniformed services.
The cabinet also approved the introduction of a Green Tax of Rs 3,000 on the sale or transfer of eligible vehicles that are more than three years old.
Electric and CNG vehicles will be exempt, along with two-wheelers and three-wheelers and certain smaller-capacity vehicles. The tax will also not apply in specified cases where a vehicle is transferred to the owner’s son or daughter after the owner’s death.
Sarma said the money collected through the tax would be used for environmental measures, including afforestation and efforts to check soil erosion.
The cabinet also cleared the merger of the PWD (National Highways) wing with PWD (Roads). An additional commissioner-level post will be created to oversee National Highway-related works.
For the Jal Jeevan Mission, the government approved three draft MoUs with the Bodoland Territorial Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and Dima Hasao Autonomous Council. The councils will be responsible for implementing and managing the mission’s projects in their respective areas.
The cabinet amended the Assam Municipal Corporation Election Rules to account for the expansion of the state’s municipal corporation system. Election-related disputes involving Silchar and Dibrugarh municipal corporations can now be taken up before the District Judge of the respective districts instead of being routed through Guwahati.
The government has also sanctioned a one-time Rs 10-crore grant for infrastructure development of the Assam Regiment. Sarma said the regiment has a close association with Assam and that around half of its personnel are Assamese.
For Madhupur Satra, the cabinet approved a monthly grant of Rs 1 lakh to meet its regular expenses. Sarma said the decision followed a request from the Satra authorities, who had cited fluctuations in donations as a reason for financial difficulties. The government is also considering a regular donation arrangement for Madhupur Satra similar to the system followed for Bordowa Satra.
On Guwahati’s riverfront project, the cabinet has engaged Tata Consultancy Services to prepare a Detailed Project Report for a possible extension from Kachari Bazar towards Kamakhya Temple and Nilachal Hill, including the stretch in front of Raj Bhavan.
Sarma clarified that the government has not yet taken a decision to construct the proposed extension. The DPR will be prepared first, after which a decision on implementation will be taken.
The cabinet also approved the conversion of the Phakgaon Proposed Reserve Forest in the Bodoland Territorial Region into a revenue village. The move followed a request from the Bodoland Territorial Council.
Sarma said the forest cover that existed when the area was declared a proposed reserve forest is no longer present and that people from different communities are now living there. The conversion will enable residents to obtain land-related documents and access government schemes and other facilities.
Separately, Hero MotoCorp has handed over 50 motorcycles to the Guwahati Traffic Police under its corporate social responsibility programme.
Sarma also congratulated BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary as the Bodoland Territorial Council government completed one year in office. He said he could not attend the programme because of his election-related engagements.
