GUWAHATI, May 26: The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday approved the creation of a separate welfare department for Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) besides taking key decisions for administrative reforms in the state.
The third meeting of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Cabinet decided to create the “Welfare of Bodoland” department in lieu of the Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes (WPTBC) department, to accelerate the policies for the development of the four districts under BTR.
“The Cabinet also decided to set up a Bodoland Administrative Staff College in Kokrajhar under Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to enhance the administrative capacity of BTR. The construction of the college will take around two years. However, the Cabinet decided that the college needed to function immediately, even if it is from a rented building,” Cabinet spokesperson, Pijush Hazarika told reporters after the meeting here on Wednesday.
The Cabinet also decided to simplify the fund disbursement process under three schemes and to release funds among 13 lakh beneficiaries of Kushal Konwar Briddha Pension Scheme, 1,60,000 beneficiaries of Deen Dayal Divyang Yojana and 1,70,000 beneficiaries of Indira Miri Widow Pension Scheme on the 10th of every month.
“The Cabinet has decided that from now on. no file will be sent to the finance department seeking ceiling for the three schemes. The senior-most secretary of the concerned department will be empowered to release the funds through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries,” Hazarika said.
The Cabinet also approved the guideline of roles and responsibilities of guardian ministers entrusted to oversee the administrative aspects of districts assigned to them.
In its earlier sitting, the Cabinet had decided to appoint guardian ministers to be allotted to the district administration for better implementation of government policy decisions, schemes/projects and other public welfare activities.
Earlier, the Cabinet ministers observed two minutes’ silence to mourn the demise of Gossaigaon MLA, Majendra Narzary who passed away on Wednesday morning.
“The chief minister has directed ministers, Parimal Suklabaidya and Urkhao Gwra Brahma, to immediately leave for the late MLA’s residence and extend condolences to the bereaved family on behalf of Assam government. Besides, directions have been issued to complete Narzary’s last rites with full state honours,” he said.