Tea Workers to Get Rs 5000 Aid as Assam Marks 200 Years of Tea; Drought Declared State-Specific Disaster
A cabinet meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 18, 2025 took the following decisions:
- The State Cabinet has approved the project “Construction of Teachers Quarters and Students Hostels of Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, Assam” of total built-up area of 85,509 sqm, amounting to Rs. 357.28 crore. This project aims to redevelop and provide additional facilities in the AMCH campus to facilitate the staff and students of the institute.
- The project includes the construction of the following-
- Faculty/ Gazetted Staff Residence, Grade-III and Nursing Staff Residence, Residence of Principal, Vice Principal, Medical Superintendent, Staff Quarters, Hostels for MBBS (Male), MBBS (Female), P.G (Male), P.G (Female), Dining Block, G.N.M. Hostel (Female), Community Hall.
- The State Cabinethas approved theallotment of Government landunder the Mission Basundhara 3.0. service – ‘Digitalized allotment/settlement of land to non-individual juridical entities’.
- The State Cabinet has approved the settlement of land and exemption of premium in favour of Shri Dinesh Buragohain, and 11 others under Kamolabaria mouza of North Lakhimpur Revenue Circle. Each has been approved thesettlement of landmeasuring 01 Katha 05 Lechas with waiving of Government’s settlement premium.
- The State Cabinet has approved the setting up of National University for Disability Studies. Cabinet has approved the waiver of transfer premium of Govt. Khas land measuring 150 Bigha, covered by Dag No. 244 of Village Deochar, under Bangaon Mouza, Chhaygaon Revenue Circle in favour of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India for the purpose. Cabinet has also approved waiver of premium Rs. 8.63 crore to facilitate the timely implementation of this prestigious institution which will also reflect the Government of Assam’s commitment to inclusive development and support for national welfare initiatives.
- The State Cabinethas approved notifying exemption of hydrocarbons exploration and production activities from the purview of “The Assam Regulation of Reclassification and Reclassification cum Transfer of Lands Act, 2015” subject to the payment of the applicable premium, to streamline the process of land availability for hydrocarbon exploration & production activities in the State. This will expedite strategic hydrocarbons projects, generate premium revenue for the State, strengthen national energy security while promoting ease of doing business.
- For oil exploration projects undertaken by companies such as Oil India Limited (OIL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and other similar entities, it was also decided that the State Government shall not initiate acquisition of land by default. Oil exploration companies Central/ State owned or Private Sector agencies duly authorized by Government of India have been permitted to purchase or lease the required land directly from landowners through negotiated settlement, as per prevailing market rates and applicable guidelines.
- Companies may also opt to take land on lease for the purposes of exploration and related activities, through mutually agreed terms with the landowners. Lease agreements should be duly registered and should specify the period of lease, compensation, and restoration obligations, if any.
- An online portal shall be developed and hosted by the Revenue Department for facilitating hydrocarbon companies to apply for auto-reclassification of land and for making payment of premium at rates as applicable.
- TheState Cabinet has approved the issuance of concurrence for Financial Sanction of Rs. 342 crore for implementation of Mukhya Mantri Eti Koli Duti Paat (Assam Tea Garden Workers’ Financial Assistance Scheme-2025) Flagship scheme in Budget 2025-26.
- This initiative marks the 200th year celebration of Assam Tea and aims to provide one-time financial assistance to tea garden workers in recognition of their invaluable contribution.
- The main objective of the scheme is to promote financial inclusion by ensuring all beneficiaries have active, Aadhaar-linked Bank accounts.The amount of Rs. 342 crore will be disbursed in a single instalment of Rs. 5000 per eligible beneficiary for around 7 lakh workers (both temporary and permanent) and employees (excluding tea garden management).
- The State Cabinet has approved the inclusion of willing employees and dependents of Assam Power Distribution Corporation Ltd. Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Ltd. Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd. Adarsh Vidyalaya under Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana (MMLSAY) in Ayushman Asom-Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana (AA-MMLSAY) on a voluntary basis.
- The employees will be eligible to claim medical reimbursement from the month in which the monthly subscription is paid and the registration is completed in the MMLSAY portal. The employees will be included in the cashless module of AA-MMLSAY after completion of the first year of implementation.
- The State Cabinethas approved –
- To provide land on long term lease for Healthcare projects:
- Global Health Ltd. (Medanta): To provide land measuring 3.5 acres on long term lease to Global Health Ltd. in lieu of customised incentives with the aim of incentivising the creation of advanced healthcare infrastructure in Assam, committed under Advantage Assam 2.0.
- Lineage Healthcare Ltd.: To provide land measuring 1 acre on long term lease to Lineage Healthcare Ltd. in lieu of customised incentives with the aim of incentivising the creation of women and child healthcare infrastructure in Assam, committed under Advantage Assam 2.0.
- To provide land measuring 1.75 acres on long term lease to RJ Corp Ltd. for facilitating the setting up of hotel projects committed under Advantage Assam 2.0, and to provide other incentives to RJ Corp (Hotel project) under the Investment and Industrial Policy, i.e. IIPA 2019 committed under Advantage Assam 2.0.
- In view of the prevailing severe drought-like situation across Assam, the Cabinet has considered it to be a state specific disaster and accorded in principle approval for extending compensation benefits to the affected beneficiaries in selected districts as per the SDRF norms.
