| GUWAHATI: The Assam Cabinet has in view of the disruptions owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and to align the academic year with rest of the country, decided to change the academic year of schools from January-December to April-March.
Apart from the academic year tweak, a key meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday afternoon took several other significant decisions, including passing the MSME Ordinance which is in sync with Atma Nirbhar Assam, and also puts an end to the process of taking multiple permissions for setting up MSMEs in the state for the next three years. In order to boost inter-state and international trade through Assam, the Cabinet approved use of 200 acres of Ashok Paper Mill land at Jogighopa for the country’s first International Multi Modal Logistic Park. The Cabinet also approved 15th Finance Commission Grant in the ratio of 70 per cent for Gaon Panchayat, 15 per cent for Anchalik Panchayat and 15 per cent for Zila Parishads. The Council of Ministers further approved loan of Rs 338.28 crore from NABARD for development work in various sectors. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cabinet passed an ordinance for extension of dates of GST return. Besides, decision was taken for reduction in Earnest Money Deposits (EMDs) for mines auction to 0.5 per cent for general category and 0.25 per cent for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. Among others, the Cabinet decided to make employees of Assam Bhawans transferable, amend the Assam College Employees Provincialisation Act 2005 to enable retired employees to receive pension in return of their Contributory Provident Fund and amend the Bengal-Agra-Assam Civil Court Act 1887 by which financial limit of cases has been increased in lower courts from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh.
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