Assam Govt To Exempt Forest Dwellers From Two-Child Policy

GUWAHATI: Assam cabinet on Thursday decided to exempt forest dwellers from the ambit of Assam Public Services (Application of Small Family Norms in Direct Recruitment) Rules, 2019.

Legislation that bars people from availing of government subsidies and other government benefits if they have more than two children is known as a two-child policy. India does not have a national child policy but two BJP states Uttar Pradesh and Assam have moved towards this direction.

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Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been a strong supporter of the two-child policy. The government is likely to bring new legislation for this policy in the state Budget session starting from July 12.

In 2017, Assam had brought in the Population and Women Empowerment Policy in which government employees were asked to strictly follow the two-child norm. The new law may bring loan waivers and other government schemes under this population rule. But Sarma has said that tea garden workers and SC/ST community will not be included in that. The state assembly had earlier passed the “Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam” in September 2017.

The meeting of the state cabinet chaired by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma decided to exclude the forest dwellers from the purview of Assam Public Services (Application of Small Family Norms in Direct Recruitment) Rules, 2019 which has mandated that two-child policy will be criteria to get government jobs and to avail benefits from state-sponsored welfare schemes.

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The first cabinet meeting which was held outside the capital in Dhemaji has decided that scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and other traditional forest dwellers to be exempted from the purview of Assam Public Services (Application of Small Family Norms in Direct Recruitment) Rules, 2019, relieving these communities from the two-child norm, in order to remove the barrier for them to get into government services.

The cabinet also decided to grant Rs 700 crore rehabilitation package for the employees of Cachar and Nagaon paper mills of Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd.

Bothe the paper mills are having more than 1100 employees who are in financial distress and facing extreme hardship due to the closure of these two mills in the year 2015 and 2017 respectively.;

The quantum of relief package will be assessed based on the PF, gratuity, pension, salaries, and other dues as claimed and admitted before the liquidator. The relief will also be given to the schoolteachers, contractual co-operative’s workers of HPC. The government of Assam will also facilitate the workers/employees, who have not completed their service in getting jobs in the new industries to be established in HPC land, in the future.

Govt. job will be provided to the youngest 100 employees/workers of HPC. Jobs will also be given to doctors, paramedical staff of HPC by the Assam government.

The cabinet also decided to set up a fund of Rs.10 Cr for the welfare of workers of HPC. The state government will approach NCLT through an official liquidator for taking over the assets of HPC Ltd. after exercising due diligence.

The cabinet authorised All Assam Motak Sanmilan (Sadau Asom Matok Sanmilan) for issuance of OBC/MOBC certificate to the people of Motak community in place of All Assam OBC Association or Sub-Divisional OBC Development Board. Such certificates will have to be countersigned by DC/SDO.

The cabinet has decided to notify Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Koch- Rajbongshis (including Koch) and Gorkha who are bonafide Indian citizens in the list of a protected class of persons in addition to existing classes in the Murkongselek Jonai Tribal Belt by exercising powers under section 160 (2) of ALRR, 1886 (as amended). This shall apply to those persons who have settled up to the year 2011.

The cabinet has decided to constitute a new Tribal Belt namely the Sissi Tangani Tribal Belt comprising of 89 villages under Sissiborgaon Revenue Circle by exercising powers under section 161 of ALRR, 1886 (as amended).

After notifying Tai-Ahom, Chutia, indigenous Koch- Rajbonshis and Gorkha as a protected class in the existing Murkongselek Jonai Tribal Belt, will be getting the highest preference in settlement of government land for ordinary cultivation and purposes ancillary thereto.
Similarly, this benefit of settlement of government land will be enjoyed by the notified protected classes in the Sissi Tangani Tribal Belt.

Thus, the settlement of government land to the backward classes will be a step towards giving land rights to these communities.

The cabinet also decided to impose restrictions on the transfer of Patta land to a person not notified as a protected class or to any person who is not a permanent resident of the Belt or Block i.e. residing before the creation of the Belt or Block.

The creation of the new Tribal Belt will ensure eviction of unauthorised occupants from government land who without authority has encroached upon such land, from AP land who other than AP holder, is occupying such AP land, from PP land who without valid authority from the PP holder or in violation of the provisions of Chapter X is occupying such land.

The state cabinet has decided to exempt the revenue circle officers & land revenue staff from engaging in miscellaneous duties other than revenue matters, law & order, election, census and disaster management related duties.

As land revenue administration is the backbone of civil administration at the grassroots level, a team of dedicated revenue circle officers and LR staff who pay undivided attention to revenue-related works can help in the prompt disposal of revenue works.

Finally, the ultimate success of the State Mission programme, ‘Mission Basundhara’ will depend to a large extent on the efficacy, dedication and undivided attention of the Revenue Circle officers and LR Staff, which can be attained only by exempting them from miscellaneous works so that their sole focus and thrust remain on revenue matters.

The cabinet has approved the up-gradation of Silchar MB to Silchar Municipal Corporation and Dibrugarh MB to Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation by providing more administrative powers with greater resources.

The cabinet has approved the proposal for NOC for the land belonging to Machkhowa Jail and land measuring 2 bighas belongs to the cooperation department at Purabi Dairy by the side of P&RD Office at Panjabari for setting up of Garbage Transfer Stations by Guwahati Municipal Corporation.

The cabinet approved Rs. 1800 crore to provide relief to around 11 lakh micro-finance loanees (maximum up to Rs. 25,000), who are making a regular payments to banks.

The cabinet approved Rs. 50 crore for construction of integrated DC office at Dhemaji. Rs. 50 cr for construction of a state of art integrated sports complex at Dhemaji and Rs 183 cr for construction of a road cum embankment starting from Jonai to Majuli. It will cover 4 constituencies namely Jonai, Dhakuakhana, Dhemaji & Majuli.

The cabinet approved Rs 150 cr flood control package for Dhemaji.The cabinet has given in-principle approval to the Land acquisition proposal covering 100 bighas for setting up Dhemaji Medical College.

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