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Tag: Himanta Biswa Sarma

  • Seven committees to be set up for uplift of tea tribes: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that seven committees will be formed to conduct an in-depth study into various critical issues concerning the tea tribes to draw up short, medium and long term action plans for uplifting the community.

    The BJP-led government during the last five years undertook a number of programmes for the development of tea tribes but still, a lot needs to be done for its holistic growth, Sarma said participating in an interactive programme with intellectuals and leading citizens of the community to prepare a roadmap for their all-round development.

    Various issues relating to the socio-economic development of the community including infrastructural development, exploring alternative and additional livelihood, proper education, health infrastructure, preserving heritage, culture and language of the community were discussed during the programme, he said.

    The government will discuss the various issues for the next six months and in each of the seven committees, a government official would be nominated as member secretary.

    The committees will submit their recommendations by December with a focus on health, education, skill development, culture, literature, sports and employment and the government will accordingly make necessary provisions in the next budget for its implementation, Sarma said.

    Leading personalities of the community including former union minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar and former assembly speaker Prithbi Majhi among others spoke at the programme.

  • Assam govt signs MoU with banks, MFIs to give relief to poor women borrowers

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 38 microfinance institutions (MFI) and banks to give relief to poor women borrowers.

    Waving off the microfinance loans of women was a poll promise of the ruling BJP.

    “With a view to providing succour to poor women borrowers who are not able to return the loan amount of MFIs, the Finance Department of the Government of Assam signed an MoU with MFIs for implementation of Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme (AMFIRS), 2021…” an official statement said.

    Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was present, described the MoU as historic.

    “Borrowers who have been repaying regularly with Zero Days Past Due will be provided a one-time incentive to the extent of their outstanding balance, subject to a cap of Rs 25K. The state government will pay the overdue amount for accounts which are overdue but not NPA,” Sarma tweeted.

    He further wrote: “Borrowers who are stressed, destitute & whose accounts have become NPA will need to apply through a format verified & certified by the lender. Govt will consider providing partial relief or full relief based on the detailed evaluation.”

    Stating that up to June, 2021, there were 14 lakh microfinance borrowers in the state, he said the new scheme would involve Rs 12,000 crore credit portfolio, out of which the state government would be required to expend around Rs 7,200 crore.

    Detailing the MoU provisions, the CM said relief under the scheme shall be extended to all borrowers to the extent of loans from up to 3 lenders and for loan amounts of up to Rs 1.25 lakh only. To become eligible for the scheme, the borrowers will have to fulfill eligibility or non-eligibility conditions as laid down in the guidelines, he said.

    The CM said many people in the state were stressed by private money lenders. Keeping this in view, the state government decided to promote borrowing through MFI and banks which carry out their operations strictly adhering to RBI guidelines.

    Sarma urged the MFIs and the banks to maintain fair practice code of the RBI while disbursing loans in the future. At the same time, he called upon the people to ensure judicious utilization of borrowed money.

  • Congress MP Ripun Bora lists ‘failures’ of Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government’s 100 days

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora has slammed the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government for the alleged slow pace of vaccination in the state and “jeopardising” age-old social harmony by bringing in a cattle preservation law.

    Making an analysis of the 100 days performance of the BJP-led government in Assam, Bora also alleged that the inter-state border disputes have escalated during the new dispensation and it has gone back on the promise of waiving off the micro finance loan of women.

    The Congress leader said in a statement that Sarma’s government has made tall claims about success in various fields but “practically there is nothing to show as achievements”.

    Out of Assam’s 3.35 crore population, just 20 lakh were fully vaccinated till now while 1.28 crore people got just single dose and 1.07 crore people of the age of above 18 years did not get even a single dose of vaccine, which is very alarming, he said.

    Bora claimed that there were 35 encounters between police and drugs peddlers in the first 100 days of the BJP government in the state, which is a serious threat to human rights and against a Supreme Court ruling. Even the chief minister has provoked the police to shoot the accused, he claimed.

    The former president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee said the Cattle Preservation Bill 2021 will “jeopardise” the long-lasting peace and tranquility between the Hindu, Muslim and Christians in Assam.

    “Under this Act selling of beef is banned within 5 km radius of any religious place. But Assam is such a state where almost all villages or areas, Hindus, Muslims and Christians have been living together since time immemorial. As such there will be not a single place where there will not be Hindu or Muslim within the 5 km radius of a temple or a ‘satra’ (Vaishnavite monastery), ‘namghar’ (a kind of Assamese temple),” he said.

    Bora also termed as “gross failure” of the Sarma’s government in protecting Assam’s interest with regards to border disputes with the neighbouring states as six Assam Police personnel were killed and over 50 others injured by Mizoram Police in a border clash last month.

    Repeated tension along the Assam-Mizoram, Assam-Nagaland and Assam-Meghalaya borders and lack of progress in the talks over boundary disputes cannot be termed as success, as claimed by the Assam chief minister, he said.

    The Congress leader also said the BJP-led government has not yet fulfilled a party promise during the election campaign that the micro finance loan of the women borrowers will be waived off within one month of forming the government.

  • Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma sets 2023 goal for digitisation of land records

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asked the Revenue & Disaster Management Department to set a goal for digitisation of all land records of the state within 2023. He also urged the department to dispose of all pending partition and mutation cases before completion of the first anniversary of the current government in May next year, according to an official statement.

    Calling for reforms in the state’s revenue administration at a meeting with the officials of the department here, the chief minister asked them to complete all pending partition and mutation cases in a mission mode.

    “Mission Basundhara” will be launched for this purpose on October 2 this year, the statement said. Sarma said that all such pending matters should be solved within May 10 next year which will mark the first anniversary of the present government.

    He directed the department to achieve the goal of completely digitising land records of the state within 2023. The chief minister also asked the department to expedite the process of cadastral survey of all remaining non-cadastral villages and a detailed survey of lands in 27 districts of Assam.

    The Sixth Schedule areas will be excluded from the exercise.

    The issue of inter-district transfer of ‘lot mondals’ (post under revenue department) was also discussed in the meeting, with Sarma directing officials to draft a new Service Rule of the ‘lot mondals’ for hassle-free execution of transfer and postings within a stipulated time.

    Senior officials including Principal Secretary to Revenue & Disaster Management Department Avinash Joshi were present at the meeting.

  • Crackdown on drugs, border disputes mark 100 days of Himanta government

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Intensive anti-insurgency operations, a crackdown on drugs and human trafficking, encounter killing of extremists and escalated border disputes with neighbouring states mark 100 days of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government in Assam.

    Since May this year, 10 extremists were killed in an exchange of fire with police while 65 others were arrested, Sarma said.

    Addressing a press conference on the occasion of completing 100 days in office on Friday, he said that a huge amount of narcotic drugs were seized while several militants surrendered during the period.

    Sarma heads a BJP-led government in the North-eastern state.

    The leader of the insurgent outfit National Liberation Front of Boroland (NLFB), along with 21 other cadres, had surrendered on July 22 and so far 99 cadres of the outfit have laid down their arms, he said.

    Another 130 cadres of NLFB are likely to surrender soon while 27 militants of the Kuki National Liberation Army also gave themselves up recently and deposited arms and ammunitions in Karbi Anglong.

    The police have arrested 1,912 people following the crackdown on drugs since May and 1,115 cases have been registered so far, he said.

    Drugs value at Rs 190.21 crore were seized, which included 24.844 kgs of heroin, 9364.41 kgs of ganja, 17.993 kgs of opium, 87850 bottles of Codeine based cough syrup, 14,26,790 tablets/capsules and three kgs of Crystal Methamphetamine.

    “We will continue to deal with the drug menace with an iron hand and achieve our mission for drug-free Assam,” Sarma said.

    In a major breakthrough in the drive against human trafficking, 175 victims were rescued, 36 cases registered and 37 people arrested, the chief minister said.

    He said that for the first time in many years, people celebrated Independence Day with a free mind with no organisation calling a bandh on the day.

    Assam recently faced border problems with neighbouring states, especially with Mizoram, and efforts are on to resolve the disputes.

    At least seven people including six Assam Police personnel were killed and over 50 others injured in a clash between forces of the state and Mizoram last month.

    A joint resolution was signed by both the states on August five at Aizawl following which all efforts are being made to normalise the situation and establish peace along the border.

    Sarma said, “Over the past 100 days, we made sufficient progress to put an end to the decades-old legacy disputes, particularly with Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram.”

    On the Assam-Nagaland border issue, an agreement was reached between the two states on July 31 to withdraw armed police forces by both sides from disputed locations, and normalcy has been restored.

    At a meeting on August 6, the chief ministers of Meghalaya and Assam decided to set up three committees from both sides to be headed by cabinet ministers to minimise the areas of differences.

    Referring to waive microfinance loans, Sarma said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with the companies on Saturday and the Reserve Bank of India has already given statutory clearance for it.

    The daily wages of tea garden workers was hiked from Rs 167 to Rs 205 in the Brahmaputra Valley and from Rs 145 to Rs 183 in the Barak Valley with retrospective effect from February 22, 2021, he said.

    The chief minister said that to make the forthcoming “five years a glorious era of Assam’s history, we used our 100 days to lay the foundation of some transformative days”.

    Under the maxim ‘minimum government and maximum governance’, more powers were delegated to district deputy commissioners to fast track various projects, he said.

    “After the first 100 days, I can say with confidence that Assam’s contribution will increase by 100 per cent in building a New India,” the chief minister asserted.

    On the occasion, the chief minister along with his cabinet colleagues released a booklet titled “100 Days of Good Governance-Embarking on a journey for holistic development”.

  • Assam govt gives jobs to dependants of 6 cops killed on Mizoram border on compassionate grounds

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Friday handed over the appointment letters to one member each from the families of the six police personnel who were killed on the line of duty during the July 26 interstate border gunbattle with Mizoram Police.

    The appointment letters were handed over at a programme organised to mark the 100 days of BJP-led government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

    The government had earlier offered an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh each to the families to “honour the sacrifice made by the six police martyrs”. Sarma had then made an announcement that one member each from the six families would be given a government job.

    On Independence Day on Sunday, the slain cops were posthumously awarded the Chief Minister’s Special Service Medal in a crisis situation.

    Sarma on Friday said his government had ensured complete protection of the state’s land. “We have taken positive steps to protect our land in discussions with Meghalaya and Nagaland governments,” he said.

    Listing out his government’s achievements, the CM said the state achieved a massive success in thwarting cattle smuggling and drug smuggling. The government had promised to give jobs to one lakh youth and it started the process on Friday by appointing 767 teachers.

    ALSO READ | 3 Assam colleges seek info on applicants’ caste in admission form

    Ahead of Assembly elections, the BJP had promised to waive off microfinance loans. Sarma said the government would sign a memorandum of understanding in this regard with the microfinance companies on Saturday. The Reserve Bank of India has given the statutory clearance, he said.

    Sarma said insurgent group National Liberation Front of Bodoland, which was formed after the signing of the Bodo peace accord, was brought to the mainstream by his government. He said the remaining members of a Kuki rebel group also surrendered. He said the police had achieved “exemplary” success against the militants in the past three months.

    Talking about some decisions taken by the cabinet on Friday, Sarma said from now on once every month, a cabinet meeting would be held at the headquarters of one district. He said the government decided that students would compulsorily study Assam and Indian history and geography up to class 10.

    The government will also start implementing the provisions of the National Educational Policy from April next year. Under this, all high schools will be upgraded to senior secondary schools and junior colleges will have classes IX and X in them.

    To get respite from carbon emission, the government decided to launch electric and CNG buses in Guwahati.

    The government also decided to build a sports complex each in 50 of the state’s 126 Assembly constituencies. “(Olympics bronze medalist boxer) Lovlina Borgohain’s success has created a positive environment among people in the state. We will definitely try to capitalise on it,” Sarma said. 

  • Guwahati airport to remain named after Gopinath Bordoloi: Himanta Biswa Sarma

    He asserted that till he is the chief minister of Assam and Narendra Modi is the prime minister of India, the name of the airport will not be changed.

  • Assam CM invites ULFA (I) chief Paresh Barua for peace talks

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday appealed to ULFA (I) chief Paresh Barua to come to the negotiating table.

    Sarma also expressed his gratitude to COVID warriors for their unrelenting fight against the pandemic, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the war against drugs and human trafficking.

    He made 10 ‘requests’ to the people of Assam, including taking care of aging parents and marrying off daughters not before the age of 21, to mark the 75th Independence Day.

    Speaking at the state function organised on the occasion, the chief minister said that Assam is celebrating Independence Day without any bandh called by militant groups, including ULFA, for the first time in decades.

    “On behalf of the people of Assam, I appeal to Paresh Barua to come forward for dialogue. Let no youth of our state be killed anymore,” he said.

    The ULFA (I), which had been calling for Assam Bandh on Independence Day and Republic Day for several decades, refrained from the practice for the first time for Independence Day this year.

    The outfit has also declared a unilateral ceasefire since May this year in view of the pandemic situation.

    The chief minister had earlier urged Barua to come for peace talks after assuming power in May this year.

    Sarma thanked all COVID warriors, including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and ambulance drivers, for working tirelessly in the pandemic.

    Noting that COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible people was progressing well in the state, he said that 1.5 crore doses will be administered in the next one week.

    He congratulated boxer Lovlina Borgohain for her Olympic bronze medal and said that her success is an inspiration for all.

    Sarma paid tributes to the six Assam Police personnel killed in violence along the inter-state border with Mizoram on July 26, and conferred them the ‘Chief Minister’s Special Service Medal in a Crisis Situation’ posthumously.

    He said that the Assam government is committed to resolving the border disputes without compromising with the state’s constitutional boundary.

    “I urge the northeastern states to resolve the disputes through talks to keep the ‘soul’ of our region alive,” he said.

    The chief minister said that the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, which was passed by the assembly on Friday, shows the state government’s resolve to protect the cultural ethos of the state.

    He said that the government is committed to eradicating poverty through population control and will carry on its war against drugs, human trafficking and other social menaces.

    Sarma said his government will fulfil its pre-poll promises including providing one lakh government jobs and waiving loans taken by women from micro-finance institutions.

    “We want to do away with red-tapism in bureaucracy,” he said.

    The chief minister announced that freedom fighters’ pension issued by the state government will be increased to Rs 36,000 at par with the central remuneration and state honours will be accorded to all these former revolutionaries during their last rites.

    He made 10 ‘requests’ to the people of the state and urged them to comply with these to build a better Assam.

    Sarma urged people to observe birth and death anniversaries of Vaishanvite preachers Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhabdeva as opportunities to emulate their teachings.

    He called on people to make it a tradition to begin all programmes with a rendition of the state song and conclude those with the National Anthem.

    Urging people to take care of their aging parents, the chief minister said that his government will sanction seven days leave per year to its employees to visit their parents and requested other employers and businessmen to follow suit.

    To improve the work culture, he requested government employees to spend an extra hour at the office and leave no work pending.

    He appealed to people to stop using single-use plastics and do at least one ‘good deed’ this year like giving free tuition to needy students or organising health camps.

    Sarma urged people not to marry off their daughters till they attain the age of 21, and cooperate with police to fight drugs and human trafficking.

  • Himanta most communal, divisive CM in history of Assam: Akhil Gogoi

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Hitting out at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the cow protection bill, MLA Akhil Gogoi said he will be remembered as the “most communal and divisive CM” in the history of Assam.

    Addressing a press conference here, Gogoi apologised to the people of Assam for not being able to stop the passage of the bill as he was the lone MLA from his Raijor Dal.

    “When the bill was passed on August 13, I could not sleep that night. This is a devastating act, which will destroy the communal harmony among people and ruin the rural economy.”

    “Assam will remember Himanta Biswa Sarma as the most communal and divisive CM. He is the most dangerous CM and the people of Assam are not safe under his rule,” Gogoi alleged.

    He equated the passing of the bill with the demolition of Babri Masjid and said both are equally dangerous incidents for destroying the Hindu-Muslim unity of the country.

    On August 13, the Assembly passed The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, seeking to ban cattle slaughter and sale of beef in the areas where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs are in a majority or within a five-kilometre radius of a temple or satra (Vaishnavite monasteries) or any other institution as may be prescribed by the authorities.

    Gogoi also alleged that Sarma misquoted Mahatma Gandhi during his speech while passing the bill.

    “He (Sarma) lied in the House in reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s statements. Has he not killed Mahatma Gandhi again? Why should we not call him the second Nathuram Godse?” Gogoi said.

    Stating that banning beef will hurt the freedom of choice of food, the MLA apologised to the people, especially Muslims and Christians, for not being able to stop the passage of the legislation.

    “This bill is going to destroy the rural economy and will lead to severe inflation. We have already seen price rise in other meats, eggs and fish after the bill was introduced. All dairy farmers will be impacted by this as they will not be able to sell their non-milking cows for slaughter.”

    “The market involved with purchase and sale of cows will be severely impacted. The size of this market is Rs 20,000-30,000 crore, most of which is in rural areas. Now, this will be impacted,” he claimed.

    Though the BJP-led government has brought in the Act to hit the Muslim community, in the end, it will hit hard the indigenous Hindu people of the state who are dependent on the cattle economy, Gogoi asserted.

    Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora on August 4 had informed the Assembly that Assam produced 33.68 lakh kg of cattle meat and 1.59 lakh kg of buffalo meat during 2019-20 out of a total meat production of 5.3 crore kg.

    Bora had said as per the 20th Livestock Census in 2019, Assam has a cattle population of 1.09 crore and buffalo population of 4.22 lakh.

  • Assam government to grant an extra seven-day leave to employees to spend time with elderly parents

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Continuing with its focus on geriatric care, the Assam government has decided to grant an extra seven days’ leave to its employees once a year but on the strict condition that they will spend the time with their elderly parents.

    Making the announcement in his Independence Day speech on Sunday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the employees could avail the leave at any given time.

    “We have to take a resolve that we won’t keep our elderly parents in an old age home. In spiritual India, nothing is more disturbing and shameful than to see elderly parents in an old age home…

    “I understand that we need to work hard to run the family but I want to ask if the state government employees can spend seven days’ time with their aged parents. The government will grant the leave,” Sarma said.

    He appealed to people to resolve that they would not send their elderly parents to old-age homes.

    Speaking in a similar vein, he appealed to traders to take seven days’ break from business and take their elderly parents on a pilgrimage. In this regard, he made mention of Shravan Kumar, the mythological character who was known for filial piety.

    Last week, the government linked geriatric care to the employees’ pay by passing the Assam Employees’ Parent Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring Amendment Bill.

    Once it becomes a law, it will make it mandatory for the employees to take care of their parents or face a certain deduction from their pay that would be used for their parents’ welfare.

    In his speech, Sarma appealed to people to plant 75 saplings in every school and office – both public and private – to make Assam green, abjure the use of single-use plastic, avoid the consumption of gutka to prevent cancer and maintain cleanliness, not to marry off daughters before they attain the age of 21 years, take a resolve to work extra one hour in government offices to help Assam become one of the top five states etc.

    Meanwhile, the flag of banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam or ULFA was found hoisted at some places of the state. The outfit had on Saturday extended its unilateral ceasefire by three months.

    Sarma on Sunday appealed to ULFA military chief Paresh Baruah to join the mainstream. Further, he reiterated his government’s commitment to go the extra mile in liberating the state from the scourge of human trafficking, drugs and cattle smuggling.