GUWAHATI: In a significant move aimed at addressing the needs of the Khasi and Jaintia communities in Assam, the state cabinet granted ex-post facto approval for the establishment of the Khasi-Jaintia Development Council.
The council is specifically designed to cater to the interests and concerns of these communities, with a focus on the Barak Valley districts in southern Assam.
State Cabinet minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, addressing the media on Thursday, highlighted the council’s role in serving the Khasi-Jaintia communities within the state, particularly in the Barak Valley region and Dima Hasao district.
“This initiative is intended to directly address the needs and concerns of the Khasi and Jaintia communities living in these areas,” Baruah told the press.
In addition to the formation of the Khasi-Jaintia Development Council, the cabinet made several other significant decisions.
Aiming to enhance the standards and quality of school education, the cabinet approved the establishment of a new education board – the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) – by merging the Board of Secondary Education Assam (SEBA) and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC).
The cabinet also gave the green light to the Assam Secondary Education (Government Schools) Service (2nd amendment) Rules 2023 and the Assam Secondary Education (Provincialised Schools) Service (2nd Amendment) Rules 2023.
These amendments are geared towards streamlining the recruitment process for graduate and postgraduate teachers, including subject teachers in vocational subjects.
Minister Baruah explained, “The amended rules aim to maintain the pupil-teacher ratio, ensure optimal utilisation of manpower for effective academic support to students, and prevent adverse effects on academic activities at the secondary level in provincialized and government schools.”
Another notable decision was the approval of land allotment to 3,576 indigenous landless families across nine districts under Mission Basundhara 2.0. The districts include Morigaon, Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup, Goalpara, Laklhimpur, Sonitpur, Darrang, Tinsukia, and Dhemaji.
Closing the briefing, Minister Mallabaruah announced the cabinet’s decision to convene the budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly on February 5, 2024.
