REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE
Guwahati, Jan 8: To improve sanitation and living conditions of people in the city, the Assam Cabinet on Sunday approved an allocation of Rs. 1,460.37 crore for implementation of Phase I of sewerage project in Guwahati.
The cabinet gave nod for JICA-assisted Guwahati Sewerage Project (187 MLD) for introducing planned sewerage collection and treatment facilities in Guwahati.
The project components will include the following:
• Sewage treatment plants: 3
Silsako Beel – 65 MLD; Borsola Beel – 62 MLD; Paschim Boragaon – 60 MLD
• Total length of sewerage network: 872 km + 1.191 km trenchless method
• Households to be covered: 1.10 lakh in South-Central Guwahati
• Faecal Sludge & Septage Treatment Plant: 1 (40 KLD)
The cabinet further made the following key decisions during the weekly cabinet meeting:
Assisting Rural Women Entrepreneurs
• To assist rural women entrepreneurs, approval to guidelines for Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan for promotion of members of self-help groups (SHGs) as rural women entrepreneurs to be implemented by Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM) Society under P&RD Department
• Scheme to be implemented in phases
Phase I - Eligible SHG members will be provided Rs. 10,000 as Entrepreneurship Fund to start at least one enterprise
Phase II - Loan of minimum Rs. 25,000 will be availed from banks by SHG members, with Govt to provide 50% or Rs. 12,500 as Capital Subsidy on return of loan
• Eligibility criteria for availing Entrepreneurship Fund
Have valid and active Aadhar-seeded savings bank account
Not a defaulter of her SHG, federations, banks, etc
General/OBC/MOBC SHG members having more than three children and SC/ST/Moran/Matak/Tea Garden community members having more than four children will not be eligible - members having two children shall be required to submit a declaration regarding restriction of number of children
Members having girl child/children who are of school-going age should ensure that they are admitted in school
Assigning Responsibilities for Amrit Sarovars
• For sustainable and efficient management of Amrit Sarovars, responsibilities for managing and maintaining Sarovars constructed under Mission Amrit Sarovars (Assam Model) to be assigned as under:
Educational institutions, religious institutions, tea gardens and Govt-registered cooperative societies for managing and maintaining Sarovars located on their lands
Forest Department to automatically assume ownership of Sarovars constructed in forest areas. However, Forest Department advised to consider the community rights of forest dwellers and forest villagers as per Forest Rights Act
For Sarovars on government lands, excluding institutional lands, assets will be under the ownership of Gaon Panchayats/equivalent local-level bodies of Autonomous Council in Sixth Schedule areas
Ex-gratia to NoK of Polling Personnel
• Ex-gratia compensation to be paid to next of kin (NoK) of polling personnel who died or sustained injuries while performing duty during Panchayat Election
• Enhanced ex-gratia
Rs. 10 lakh to NoK in case of death
Rs. 20 lakh to NoK if death occurs due to violent extremist acts such as road mine or bomb blast, armed attacks, etc
Rs. 5 lakh to officials who suffer permanent disability like loss of limb, eye sight, etc
Rs. 10 lakh to officials who suffer permanent disability like loss of limb, eye sight, etc, due to mishaps caused by extremist or unsocial elements
Rs. 50,000 to persons engaged in election duty who sustain non-grievous wounds from a firearm/any other weapon/bomb explosion/any other incident
Ensuring Free Rice to Underprivileged
• Approval to amendment of Rule 4 of the Assam Food Security Rules, 2022 as part of the Government's efforts to provide free rice to underprivileged households
• The proposed amendment will allow inclusion of State Govt muster roll employees, retired Grade IV employees of Central and State Governments and contractual employees with annual family income of less than Rs. 4 lakh under NFSA, 2013
Encouraging Higher Studies
• To encourage higher studies among students from economically weaker backgrounds, approval to the following under Pragyan Bharati scheme:
Grant of subsidy on mess dues of hostel boarders in Govt/Provincialised Colleges and State Universities for UG/PG course in degree colleges and polytechnics
Scheme for waiver of admission and tuition fees for students whose parental annual income is below Rs. 2 lakh taking admission in HS/Degree and MA/MSc/M Com courses in Govt/Provincialised Colleges, Govt Model Colleges, State Universities and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Adarsha Mahavidalayas
Scheme of Mobility Grant to PG girl students admitted in State Universities (excluding medical students)
• Rs. 154.90 crore also sanctioned under Pragyan Bharati Scheme
MoU with Singaporean Agency
• MoU to be signed between Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and Singapore Corporation Enterprise (SCE), an agency of the Government of Singapore for tapping into Singapore's expertise in urban planning, management, and development
