The Assam Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, approved several major initiatives on Monday, covering pensions, education, urban infrastructure, and social welfare.
The Cabinet sanctioned the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) as an additional option under the National Pension System (NPS) for state government employees, aiming to provide financial security in old age without dependence on market returns.
In education, the Cabinet approved Rs 130 crore for the distribution of bicycles to 3,11,614 Class IX students in government schools. The initiative is expected to reduce dropout rates and facilitate smoother transition to higher secondary education.
Urban connectivity will be strengthened through a Rs 564.50 crore elevated corridor project in Silchar. The 3.5 km flyover, connecting Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point, is intended to ease traffic congestion, reduce travel time, and lower vehicle emissions. Of the total project cost, Rs 100 crore has been allocated for land acquisition.
The Cabinet also amended rules for healthcare education under the Medical Colleges and Dental Colleges of Assam (Regulation of Admission into 1st Year MBBS/BDS Courses) Rules, 2017. Permanent residents of Assam who studied outside the state can now qualify for state quota admissions if they demonstrate continuous family residency for three generations. The Moran community of Arunachal Pradesh will also be eligible for the same quota starting from the 2026 session.
Employee welfare measures include granting the minimum of the pay scale to 1,231 muster roll, casual, and fixed-pay workers, and raising the fixed pay for 99 Grade-IV employees in the General Administration Department to Rs 16,400.
Expanding social welfare coverage, the Cabinet added 10,186 community cadres under the Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM), including districts in the Bodoland Territorial Region, to the Orunodoi 3.0 scheme. Benefits are set to begin from October 7, 2025, with an additional monthly expenditure of around Rs 1.27 crore.
