GUWAHATI, Nov 10: The Assam Cabinet on Monday approved Rs 200 crore for the Ayushman Assam scheme, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said after a Cabinet meeting chaired by him.
Sarma said around 30 lakh families received benefits under the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, while the state government bore the expenditure for nearly 40 lakh other families. The Cabinet approved Rs 200 crore as the state's share for the scheme.
The Cabinet also increased the one-time assistance for families of Samagra Shiksha officers, employees and teachers who die in service from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.50 lakh.
It decided to develop teaching-learning materials jointly with IIT Guwahati Research Park instead of procuring them from contractors through tenders. Sarma said the materials would help primary school students learn mathematics, geometry and English.
The Cabinet approved Rs 108 crore for the college fee-waiver scheme. The amount will be given directly to colleges to compensate them for admission fee waivers provided to students within the prescribed income limit.
Krishnakanta Handiqui Sanskrit College in Guwahati will be merged with Bhaskar Barman Sanskrit University in Nalbari. Sarma said the college had only 65 students. Its academic activities will shift to the university, while existing students can enrol there and college teachers will be accommodated as university teachers. Another educational institution will be named after Krishnakanta Handiqui, he said.
On complaints of toxic gas emissions and foul odour from the Purabi Dairy facility at Panjabari, Sarma said he was not aware of the matter and had directed the Pollution Control Board to examine it. He also said preparations for the Dr Bhupen Hazarika programme scheduled for November 29 would be reviewed at the next Cabinet meeting.
