GUWAHATI: The Assam Cabinet on Thursday approved the Assam Skill Development University Bill for setting up a state-of-the-art skill university at Mangaldoi in Darrang district on a 100-bigha plot with an expense of Rs 900 crore.
Addressing reporters here after the Cabinet meet, state industries and commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the university, which will be a Centre of Excellence, would be set up with assistance from the Asian Development Bank.
“We had inked a memorandum of understanding recently with the Singapore government for training resource persons of the university in that country. This will be one of the most modern institutions in the country,” Patowary said.
The state Cabinet also gave its approval to complete the long-pending Dhansiri irrigation project in Udalguri district, a project that was launched in 1975 with a credit of Rs 116 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Other key decisions of the Cabinet include approval for the Assam Heritage Protection and Preservation Bill; increase of the upper age limit for group III and group IV posts for two years so that unemployed youths can apply for jobs up to 40 years; insurance to the tune of Rs 50 lakh to journalists, home guards and all casual employees who succumbed to COVID-19 while performing their duties.
The Cabinet also approved the Orunodoi Scheme for giving financial assistance to families with an annual income below Rs 2 lakh, besides giving its nod to amendment of the Assam MSME Bill.
“The meeting also decided to keep the areas falling under the jurisdiction of Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council and Tiwa Autonomous Council out of the purview of the proposed Assam State Capital Region,” Patowary said.