Asom Ratna award to be conferred every year
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 8: The Assam cabinet on Tuesday decided to institute the Asom Ratna Award to be presented every year to one person who has made significant contribution to the society.
The meeting chaired by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also decided to institute the Asom Bibhushan Award to be presented to three persons, Assam Bhushan to five persons and Asom Shree to 10 persons every year.
The awards will carry Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively with other benefits like free medical treatment of critical illness, free stay at Assam Bhawans, free travel in ASTC buses etc.
The meeting also decided to confer literary pension in the name of litterateur Homen Borgohain from this year onwards, on his birthday i.e. December 7.
The government also decided to confer a sports pension in the name of Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah on his birthday i.e. September 3.
The cabinet also decided to confer an artiste award on January 17 every year. Awards will be announced seven days prior to the presentation ceremony.
The photographs of the President, Prime Minister and 1st chief minister of Assam Gopinath Bordoloi will be displayed in all government offices.
Assam to regulate overloaded coal trucks
In a bid to eliminate overloading by coal trucks passing through Assam, the state cabinet decided to check the weights of trucks at Digharkhal and Srirampur inter-state border gates.
This practice will continue on pilot basis till March 31, a CMO communique here said.
The whole process will be monitored by the chief minister, finance minister and transport minister.
Earlier on June 5, the chief minister asked the transport department to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) outlining detailed restrictive measures to regulate the movement of overloaded coal trucks.
Sarma held a meeting with the police, transport and tax department officials with a view to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court judgement on movement of overloaded coal trucks.
The chief minister had again directed the transport department to prepare an SOP outlining detailed restrictive measures to regulate the movement of coal trucks through inter-state borders.
Flood Damage Assessment
In a major administrative reform, the cabinet approved simplification of flood damage assessment and repairing of infrastructure.
The deputy commissioners have been authorised to take necessary action in this regard within the timeframe of April 1 to October 31.
The cabinet approved allotment of additional land measuring 35 bigha 2 katha 2 lecha to the management committee for smooth implementation of Batadrava Than Cultural and Tourism Project.
State cultural affairs minister Bimal Bora will visit and review the status of the project every month.
With a view to utilise 77 thousand bighas of government land freed from encroachers at Gorukhuti, Sipajhar in Darrang for agricultural purposes, a committee is formed under the chairmanship of MLA Padma Hazarika. MP Dilip Saikia, MLAs Mrinal Saikia and Dr Paramananda Rajbangshi will be other members of the committee while secretary and director agriculture Vinod Seshan will act as member secretary.
The cabinet recommended holding the 1st budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly from July 12.