Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet held its weekly meeting on Tuesday and emerged with a variety of announcements impacting government employees, cultural recognition, and financial aid programs.
Good news for state government employees! Education Minister Ranoj Pegu announced the approval of a revised holiday list for 2025. This includes an expansion to 36 gazetted holidays, alongside the addition of seven restricted holidays. The list incorporates various cultural and regional festivals such as Nuakhai, Bir Raghab Moran Divas, and Rongker Puja. Additionally, the Ali-Aye-Ligang festival will now be observed as a public holiday in 11 districts.
The Cabinet approved a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for employees of the Agriculture Marketing Board. This scheme, with an estimated cost of Rs. 110 crores, will include outstanding employee salaries as part of the VRS package.
The life-saving 108 Ambulance services will receive Rs. 115 lakhs to clear outstanding dues. Additionally, the Mission Basundhara scheme will offer a conditional settlement for beneficiaries with 10% premiums. This means beneficiaries facing difficulty paying mortgages will be responsible for a 90% premium fee if their land is sold or auctioned.
The Cabinet approved Rs. 223.26 crores for the third phase of the Assam Microfinance Incentive and Relief Scheme. This program aims to assist individuals with outstanding loan amounts between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000. A total of 78,046 people are expected to benefit from this initiative.
In a move to honor the 15th-century polymath Srimanta Sankardeva, the Cabinet approved renaming the district headquarters of Hojai from “Shankardeva Nagar” to “Srimanta Shankardeva Nagar.”
