Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet has expressed its gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving a greenfield high-speed corridor connecting Mawlyngkhung in Meghalaya to Panchgram in Assam, at an estimated cost of Rs. 22,864 crore.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, addressing a press conference on Tuesday, said the project would significantly cut travel time between Guwahati and Silchar, reducing the journey to just five hours from the current 12.
Of the total 166.80 km stretch, 144.80 km will lie in Meghalaya and the remaining 22 km in Assam’s Cachar district.
The project, he said, is a key step in enhancing connectivity and development in the region and aligns with the central government’s vision under the Act East Policy and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The cabinet also formally recorded its appreciation for Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for their roles in facilitating the project.
During a marathon six-hour cabinet meeting held Monday evening, several other major policy decisions were also approved.
Among them was a package of incentives for 12 companies that signed investment deals at the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit in February. These firms are expected to invest Rs. 7,730 crore collectively, creating over 16,000 jobs in the state.
To bolster Assam’s energy security, the cabinet cleared the Assam Thermal Power Generation Promotion Policy 2025, aiming to make the state self-sufficient in power by 2035.
The policy sets targets to develop 2,000 megawatts of thermal power by 2030 and 5,000 megawatts by 2035, with the Assam Power Development Corporation Limited (APDCL) designated as the nodal agency.
A single-window clearance mechanism will be set up to facilitate private sector participation. To prevent electricity tariff hikes in the 2025–26 fiscal year, the cabinet also approved Rs. 500 crore in subsidies for APDCL, including a Rs. 300 crore targeted subsidy and Rs. 200 crore in tariff relief.
In a move to improve infrastructure, Rs. 244 crore has been allocated for land acquisition to upgrade the 220 KV grid substation at Sarusajai in Guwahati under the Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Limited.
The cabinet also approved an expanded role for ‘Jal Mitras’ under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
These locally trained individuals will now be responsible not only for maintaining water supply systems but also for monitoring, raising awareness on sanitation and waste segregation.
Each Jal Mitra will receive a monthly honorarium of Rs. 1,000, along with performance-based incentives ranging from Rs. 500 to Rs. 2,000.
Further strengthening the state’s water infrastructure, the cabinet gave a green light to the Lalal Town water supply scheme in Hailakandi district to ensure round-the-clock drinking water supply.
With the Assam Right to Public Services Act rendering 362 Public Facilitation Centres (PFCs) obsolete, the government will provide a one-time grant of Rs. 50,000 and retain hardware for 746 operators, supporting their transition into village-level entrepreneurs.
The cabinet also amended the Assam Sericulture Technical (Gazetted) Service Rules, 2013, to allow for 100 percent direct recruitment of extension officers from candidates holding a B.Sc. in Sericulture.
In another infrastructure push, the state approved a convergence model between the Water Resources and Panchayat and Rural Development departments for constructing embankments along the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers and their tributaries.
In a one-time special decision, the government will prioritize the employment consideration of 347 Operation Black Board teachers from Nalbari district under the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan 2.0, aimed at empowering educators affected by earlier policy transitions.
