In a major move, the Assam Cabinet led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday approved the identification of five Assamese Muslim sub-groups - Gorias, Moriyas, Jolhas, Deshis and Syeds - as indigenous Assamese Muslim communities. Sarma, who announced several Cabinet decisions took to Twitter and said, "At our weekly Assam Cabinet, we took several decisions pertaining to the scrapping of old vehicles, identification of 5 indigenous Muslim groups, exempting ex-servicemen & their widows from paying property tax, boosting renewable energy, and improving data access, etc".
The identification is aimed to ensure their development in terms of health, cultural identity, education, financial inclusion, skill development and women empowerment, added the chief minister.
Key decisions taken by the Cabinet
Apart from this several other critical decisions were taken by the Assam Cabinet ranging from scrapping of old vehicles, exempting ex-servicemen and their widows from paying property tax, boosting renewable energy, improving data access, etc.
In another crucial decision, the Cabinet has approved to exempt ex-servicemen and their widows from paying property tax as a gesture of gratitude for their service to the nation.
The Cabinet also cleared the collaboration between the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) under SIDBI and the Assam government for providing additional guarantee coverage for loans given by lending institutions to Micro and Small units in the state and the creation of a Corpus Fund of Rs 100 crore with 80 per cent from CGTMSE and 20 per cent from Assam government.
Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) Ltd has been allowed to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with SIDBI.
In this aspect, the creation of a venture capital fund worth Rs200 crore via an MOU between SIDBI and AIDC Ltd was approved.
One-time scholarship of Rs16,000 to each student has been decided to be given to those who have passed the state Class 10 board examination in the first division.
Assam State Data Policy 2022 to improve data access, data use and ensure efficient delivery of services was also clared by the Cabinet.
The Assam Renewable Energy Policy, 2022 also got a nod for creating an ecosystem to propel the growth of Renewable Energy in the power sector and this aims to install an aggregate of 1,200 MW within five years.