Guwahati, Feb 8: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday categorically stated that only indigenous landless poor people of the state would be eligible for acquiring benefits under Mission Basundhara 2.0 scheme of the state government.
“We need to set the record straight in regard to the Basundhara scheme, which is only for the indigenous landless poor. The scheme however is not for the migrant Muslim community or the other communities who later settled in Assam from other parts of the country. Separate channels are open for the landless people from such communities,” Sarma said in the Assam Assembly.
The chief minister said that “for the first time, about 2.5 lakh people (40 percent indigenous landless poor) have been able to avail land rights under Mission Basundhara in our tenure.”
“We will grant land patta to indigenous landless poor families from February 16 onwards. Our government has the good fortune of disbursing land rights in just three years to over two lakh indigenous landless poor families, who were deprived of land rights for so many years. It is one of the biggest achievements of our government,” Sarma claimed.
The chief minister however clarified that even if about 13 lakh people had applied for land rights under the scheme, only those (2.5 lakh people) who are eligible beneficiaries under Mission Basundhara 2.0, have been given land rights under the scheme.
Schools warned
Meanwhile, the chief minister has warned school management and development committees (SMDCs) of lower primary (LP) schools that strict action, including filing of FIRs, would be taken against schools that misuse or under-utilise funds allocated for procuring uniform and distribution of the same among school students.
Replying to a query in the Assam Legislative Assembly, chief minister Sarma said, “Every year, we arrange funds for procuring uniforms for school students in LP schools. However, a disparity in the standard of school uniform is seen in schools of various districts, which indicates that the funds allocated have not been properly utilised by some schools”.
“I urge MLAs to categorise LP schools in their respective areas into A, B, and C categories based on the standard of uniform worn by students and provide information. We will take the strongest action, including filing FIRs against SMDCs that are misusing funds meant for procuring uniforms for school students,” Sarma said.
The chief minister further said that the state government would, after the Lok Sabha elections, take up a special mission to improve the standard of uniforms for LP school students along with providing proper mid-day meal programmes.