Assam Cabinet Greenlights Land Acquisition For Railway Track Doubling Project

The Assam cabinet on Tuesday sanctioned land to the Railway ministry for doubling of tracks in the Azara-Kamakhya section via Goalpara, state minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said.

It also accorded approval for payment of salaries to over 130 teachers working in Karbi Anglong district, he said.

Briefing reporters about decisions taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Baruah said, "There was requirement of land for double-lining work of railway tracks in the Azara-Kamakhya section via Goalpara. For this purpose, the cabinet has sanctioned eight bighas of land to the Railways."

He said the sanctioned land belongs to the government and locals have been consulted before going ahead.

Baruah said 131 teachers were earlier appointed by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council “without necessary prior approval of the state government or the finance department”.

"These appointments were made as there was a necessity of teachers. Today, the cabinet cleared these appointments, subject to the candidates meeting the basic criteria, which will be checked by the Hills Area Department,” he said.

The cabinet also approved the “re-engagement” of 451 part-time faculty members, working in various engineering colleges and polytechnics, against regular vacant posts, the minister said.

Besides, it granted administrative revaluation approval of over Rs 150 crore for three polytechnics under construction in Hajo, Majuli and Tingkhong.

To ensure that students attend classes regularly and dropout rates are checked, the cabinet made way for procurement of bicycles for Class 9 students in secondary government and provincialised schools for 2024-25, the minister said.

“For the purpose, financial sanction of Rs 148.55 crore has been approved, which will entail bicycles to 3,23,640 students, both boys and girls,” Baruah added.

Later in a post on X, the CM said approval has been given to a proposal to remove an anomaly of pay scale from the post of Computor Grade II, Grade I and Head Computor under the Directorate of Land Records and Survey, Assam.

“This decision will remove the long-pending inequality of grade pay between the cadres of Computors and Tranversers, both under the same directorate, considering the similar nature of work and other technical qualifications,” he added.