Assam Announces 5% Quota For State-Run School Students In Engineering Colleges

New Delhi: In a bid to promote more enrolment in state-run schools, the Assam government on Friday decided to reserve 5 per cent seats in engineering colleges for students who have studied in government schools from class 7 to 12, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He made the announcement after the state Cabinet meeting in Tinsukia, where he also shared other important decisions taken by his government.

He said that although he had mentioned during the briefing that seats will also be reserved in medical colleges, the official decisions of the Cabinet posted by him on his official X handle clarified that only engineering colleges will have the 5 per cent quota.

He said that the cabinet also approved Rs 438.27 crore for three projects under the Industrial and Investment Policy of Assam, 2019, to boost industrial growth in the state.

The three projects are a bamboo crash barrier manufacturing unit by Bhavya Shristi Udyog Pvt Ltd in Bongaigaon, a hotel by Tata Group in Kaziranga and a second Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati.

He said that these three projects will together create nearly 1,400 new jobs. He also said that a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Authority of Assam will be formed, headed by an IAS officer, to attract more CSR funds to the state.

To simplify land-related issues, the cabinet decided to harmonise different types of land into five categories, the CM said. He said that currently, there are about 100 nomenclatures to categorise different types of lands, which leads to confusion among the people. He said that from now on, all land will be placed under five categories.

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.

The cabinet also approved the release of Rs 100 crore to Assam Tea Corporation Ltd against the budget provision in 2023-24 for payment of interest on delayed deposit of provident fund to Assam Tea Employees Provident Fund Organisation.

To streamline the process of paddy procurement, Partial Decentralised Procurement (DCP) will be implemented in Bongaigaon and Biswanath districts by Assam Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd during Kharif Marketing Season 2023-24 at an estimated cost of Rs 1.69 crore, the CM posted on X later.

Among the other decisions taken were increasing the upper age limit for public prosecutors and additional public prosecutors by five years, 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 taken at the meeting.

Among various projects approved were a multi-level car parking, an interstate bus terminus and a truck terminal in Tinsukia town, and several roads, bridges and a stadium in other parts of the district.

Sarma also said the next cabinet meeting will be held in Lakhimpur in January and in Nalbari in February, in line with his government’s decision to hold the sitting in different parts of the state.