Guwahati: Assam government on Tuesday accepted the designation of five Assamese Muslim sub-groups as indigenous Assamese Muslim communities, tweeted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
It was decided to separate Assamese Muslims into the Gorias, Moriyas, Jolhas, Deshis, and Syeds sub-groups at yesterday’s weekly cabinet meeting.
CM Sarma wrote on Twitter, “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”
He claimed that doing so will enhance women’s empowerment, financial inclusion, cultural identity, health, and other areas.
Several decisions were made about the disposal of outdated vehicles, exempting veterans and their widows from paying property taxes, promoting renewable energy, enhancing data access, etc during the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet decided to exclude retired military personnel and their widows from paying property tax as a token of appreciation for their service to the country,
Speaking to the media following the meeting, state health minister Keshab Mahanta stated that measures will be introduced in the state assembly to alter the Assam Municipal Act of 1956 and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation Act of 1969 to exclude ex-servicemen and widows from paying property tax.
The government also approved the partnership between the Assam government and the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) under SIDBI to create a corpus fund of Rs 100 crores, with 80% coming from CGTMSE and 20% from the Assam government, in order to provide additional guarantee coverage for loans given by lending institutions to Micro and Small units in Assam.
Additionally, the cabinet authorised the Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) Ltd to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with SIDBI for the establishment of a Rs 200 crore venture capital fund.
The cabinet has resolved to award a one-time grant of Rs 16,000 to pupils who receive the highest possible grade in the state’s Class 10 board exam.
The cabinet also approved the Assam State Data Policy 2022, which aims to increase data access, data use, and ensure effective service delivery.
The Assam Renewable Energy Policy 2022 which aims to construct a total of 1,200 MW within five years received approval from the cabinet as well. It aims to build an ecosystem to accelerate the growth of renewable energy in the power sector.
Finally, the Vehicle Scrappage Policy of Assam, 2022 was approved in an effort during the cabinet meeting to ensure proper disassembly and scrapping of end-of-life cars in order to reduce vehicular pollution by gradually phasing out unfit and polluting vehicles.