Several key decisions taken in Assam Cabinet meeting held on Sunday

way2barak, Sept.11: In the weekly Assam Cabinet on September 11, several key decisions related to clearing backlog of cases in courts, establishment of new universities, roadmap on disaster risk reduction, upgrading polytechnics & ITIs, streamlining land acquisition, filling up posts of Bodo teachers, etc., among others were taken. The Cabinet Meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. 

KEY DECISIONS: 

❖Clearing Backlog of Cases:

Petty criminal cases pending in subordinate courts throughout Assam to be withdrawn within 6 months by invoking Section 321 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973

Instruction for withdrawal of cases and authorisation to Public Prosecutor and Addl/Asstt Public Prosecutor for filing appropriate petition on the next date fixed for respective cases along with detailed SOP to be issued immediately.

Benefits:

•Reduction in backlog of cases, allowing the courts to devote time for serious offences and other cases
•Decongestion of jails by releasing under trial prisoners who are accused in aforesaid petty cases

•Relief for witnesses who have to spend valuable time and money to attend hearings

•Ensure Right to Speedy Trial, under Article 21.

❖ Roadmap on Disaster Risk Reduction:

• Assam Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Roadmap, 2030 approved as a vision document to reduce losses and damages as well as strengthen resilience of communities/systems for various disasters/ climate change risks
• Adoption of Assam DRR Roadmap and issue of notification for implementation of action plans by respective departments to be coordinated by Assam State Disaster Management Authority
• 3% of non-salary State Budget to be earmarked starting FY 2023-24 for implementation of DRR actions through a Resilience Budget Statement.

❖ Approval to New Universities:

Approval to establishment of two private universities – Girijananda Chowdhury University, Assam with its main campus at Azara, Guwahati and constituent campus at Dekargaon, Tezpur; & Pragjyotishpur University with its campus at Hajongbari, Chandrapur under Kamrup (M) district under the Assam Private Universities Act 2007

❖Step Towards White Revolution:

Land to be leased out to Joint Venture Company formed by Govt of Assam and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to execute Assam Dairy Development Plan: Govt to execute lease agreements for two land parcels at Jorhat and Dibrugarh to set up Milk Processing Plants.

❖ Upgrading Polytechnics, ITIs

• Administrative Approval of about T366 crore for upgrading 34 Polytechnics and 43 Government ITIs into Centres of Excellence in association with Tata Technologies Limited at the ratio of 87:13 share
• Overall project cost: T2,390 crore
• Benefit :The project will provide opportunities to 15,000-20,000 students every year to learn new technologies related to Industry 4.0

❖ Planned Urban Growth:

Assam State Transit Oriented Development Policy approved to develop planned sustainable urban growth centres in the State.

❖ Boost to Bodo Learning:

To fill up vacant posts of teachers in Bodo Department in Provincialised Colleges, the posts will be exempted from the purview of ‘Roster’ under Assam Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act,1978 as amended as well as from the purview of OBC/MOBC reservation.