Guwahati, Sep 24 (IANS) : The Assam Cabinet on Thursday approved a slew of measures covering industrial investment, wetland restoration, agriculture, welfare and employment, including a proposed investment of Rs 11,000 crore for a clinker manufacturing unit and four associated cement grinding units in the state, and a Rs 796.88-crore Asian Development Bank-backed project to restore community wetlands.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decisions after chairing the Cabinet meeting at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Dispur.
Under the Assam Sustainable Wetland and Integrated Fisheries Transformation (SWIFT) Project, the government will restore and rehabilitate at least 102 derelict community beels.
The project has an estimated cost of Rs 796.88 crore, of which Rs 637.504 crore will come through an ADB loan and Rs 159.376 crore will be the state government’s share. The project aims to strengthen community-based wetland management and improve fishing communities’ livelihoods.
The Cabinet also approved the proposed Rs 11,000-crore investment for setting up a clinker manufacturing unit and four cement grinding units in Assam. The project is expected to generate around 2,000 direct jobs.
In another major industrial decision, the government approved the allotment of 504 bighas of land at Niz-Gondhmow under Hajo Revenue Circle for an industrial estate. The land, currently designated as VGR, will be dereserved, and an equivalent 504 bighas of government land at Dokania will be reserved as VGR instead.
The Cabinet also approved state guidelines for financial assistance towards the promoter’s contribution under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. The government will bear the entire mandatory 10 per cent contribution for collective entities such as FPOs, FPCs, PACS and cooperatives. For individual beneficiaries, including farmers, startups and SHGs, the state will bear 5 per cent while beneficiaries contribute the remaining 5 per cent.
For NFSA beneficiaries, subsidised sugar will be supplied at Rs 30 per kg in October, while beneficiaries will receive both masur dal and sugar for Rs 100 during the month.
The Cabinet also approved a 20 per cent bonus for eligible workers and employees of Assam Tea Corporation Limited, and minimum pay-scale benefits for 166 muster-roll, casual and fixed-pay workers. It increased the October Orunodoi assistance from Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,500 as a Durga Puja gift.
It also decided to declare October 17 as an additional Durga Puja holiday. It announced that elections to the Mising Autonomous Council and Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council would be held in November.
The Cabinet also approved 256 bighas to establish a College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Sribhumi district under Assam Agricultural University.
