Guwahati, June 27: The Assam Cabinet has, while taking note of the need to recruit experienced teachers in government schools, accorded approval to a special recruitment drive for the contractual teachers of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and state pool teachers as regular teachers.
Chairing the Cabinet meeting, held for the first time in Nalbari on Thursday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the special recruitment drive to regularise such teachers would further strengthen the education system.
“The existing service rules will be amended to make the provision for lateral entry of these experienced contractual teachers as regular teachers in the lower primary and upper primary schools of the state,” Sarma said.
The decision, he said, would benefit about 35,133 contractual SSA teachers and state pool teachers in the state in the next four to five months.
On the other hand, in order to reduce undue burden on citizens, the Cabinet decided to do away with imposing fines for traffic violations for two to three wheelers. In this regard, it has advised the transport department not to levy fines on two wheelers in the absence of documents such as license, pollution under control certificate, registration, etc.
Helmet-less two-wheeler riders will however be levied fines like before, apparently considering the significance of safe riding and prevention of fatal mishaps.
“In all such cases, legal action will be initiated as the normal course of action, removing the fine component as a form of penalty,” the chief minister said.
In case of three-wheel vehicles like auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws etc, four warnings will be given for rule violations, post which fines will be levied.
“This decision will benefit a large section of the society like students, gig workers, delivery partners, public transport drivers among others by saving their hard-earned money,” he said.
Besides, in view of concerns received from various quarters on bidding high prices for settlement of markets/bazaar/ haats and ghats, etc, resulting in higher rate of collection from the traders and public, the state Cabinet decided to cancel the tenders for all the markets/bazaars/ haats and ghats, etc, which were floated by the zila parishads, anchalik panchayats and gaon panchayats.
The state government will float new tenders with certain terms and conditions. In the intervening period till new tenders are issued and bids are made, the present lessee will continue to run these markets at previously settled rates.
“This will benefit the common people by bringing down prices of commodities being traded in such designated places,” the chief minister said.
Further, in order to ensure safety and security of workers working under Private Placement agencies, the Cabinet accorded approval to the Assam Private Placement Agencies for Recruitment of Workers’ (Regulation) Rules, 2024.
The rules will be in line with “The Private Placement Agencies for Recruitment of Workers (Regulation) Act, 2019” and will facilitate in maintaining a database of both workers and private placement agencies of the state.
Under this rule, the private placement agencies can be registered under the labour welfare department, which will allow the state government to regulate private placement agencies operating their business or willing to commence their business in Assam.
These rules will thus allow verification of the operational status and existential authenticity of the agencies.