Guwahati: In a recent Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Assam government approved several key initiatives aimed at enhancing infrastructure, promoting education, and recognizing literary achievements, underscoring its commitment to holistic development.
During the announcement on Wednesday, Chief Minister Sarma revealed a ban on the serving and consumption of beef in restaurants, hotels, and public spaces across the state. He noted that the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, enacted in 2021, has effectively curtailed cattle slaughter, prompting the decision to prohibit beef consumption in public areas.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved the expansion of the four-lane road leading to Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to a six-lane road, allocating an extra Rs 116 crore from the state budget for the project, which has an estimated total cost of Rs 474 crore.
The Cabinet also decided to establish a new literary award named after esteemed writer Homen Borgohain for pension recipients. A one-time assistance of Rs 50,000 will be provided to those already receiving other pensions, while a monthly literary pension will be available for individuals, excluding government employees.
Furthermore, the Cabinet resolved to transfer Sanskrit Tols and Pali Tols from the Directorate of Higher Education to the Directorate of Secondary Education.
CM Sarma shared that Assam is poised for significant development, with projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore expected to be announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the Advantage Assam Summit in February next year. Key projects include the expansion of Bongaigaon Refinery by an additional 5 million MT, a Rs 10,000 crore expansion of the Namruo Fertiliser Plant, the Guwahati Ring Road project, the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, a road tunnel between Numaligarh and Gohpur, a new expressway from Guwahati to Barapani, a bridge over the Brahmaputra connecting Morigaon and Darrang, two satellite townships in Jagiroad and Palasbari estimated at Rs 10,000 crore, and a railway project linking Guwahati to Gelephu in Bhutan.
The Chief Minister also announced that the state’s Cabinet expansion will occur on December 7.