GUWAHATI, Oct 27: The Assam Cabinet on Sunday approved a 3-percent dearness allowance (DA) hike for state government employees, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The increase will be effective from July this year, he said.
Addressing a press conference after chairing a cabinet meeting here, Sarma said, “With this, the total DA will be 53 per cent, which is at par with central government employees.”
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He said the increased DA will be payable with retrospective effect from July, and the arrear amount will be paid in four equal installments with the monthly salaries from January to April next year.
The employees will draw salary with revised DA from December, the CM said.
The cabinet also decided to do away with the earlier provision in the Assam Tea Plantation Provident Fund scheme, which barred a tea garden worker whose monthly wage is more than Rs 15,000 from getting provident fund (PF) benefits.
“As wages of the workers are now increasing, we do not want anyone to be deprived of PF benefits. Hence, it has been decided to remove the cap of Rs 15,000 monthly earning,” the chief minister said.
The council of ministers also approved signing of an MoU with Reliance Bio Energy for exploring the scope of compressed biogas sector in the state, he said.
The appointment of archer Jayanta Talukdar as a deputy superintendent of police in the state force has also been cleared.
An investment of Rs 205 crore in Numaligarh Refinery Ltd, several road and minor irrigation projects under NABARD, Rs 175 crore for procurement of medicines in government hospitals, Rs 150 crore for infrastructure development in state police force and formation of election department in Tamulpur district, found the cabinet’s nod, too, the CM said.
It okayed a one-time grant of Rs 25,000 to about 2,000 committees, which organise ‘Raas’ celebrations, involving live performances of dance dramas based on the life of Lord Krishna.
He also said ‘Bhasa Gaurav Week’ will be observed from November 3-9, a month after Assamese was accorded the status of classical language.
Meetings and special programmes will be organised in educational institutions and by social organisations during the week.
“We will try to send thousands of letters with the resolution of gratitude to the prime minister during the week,” Sarma said. (PTI)
