HT Correspondnet
KOKRAJHAR, Feb 23: Cheques under the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan (CMAAA) were distributed at a ceremonial programme held at the District Parade Ground in Kajalgaon, the headquarters of Chirang district, on Monday, with a total of 3,930 beneficiaries receiving financial assistance.
The distribution programme covered youths from seven Assembly constituencies under the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat.
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Beneficiaries included recipients from Sidli-Chirang and Bijni constituencies in Chirang district, as well as Baokhungri, Dotoma, Gossaigaon, Kokrajhar and Parbatjhora constituencies in Kokrajhar district.
Each beneficiary received the first instalment cheque of ₹75,000 under the scheme aimed at promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship among youths.
Assam cabinet minister Jayanta Malla Baruah attended the programme as the chief guest and distributed the cheques in the presence of BTC Chief Executive Member Hagrama Mohilary and several other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, minister Baruah said the self-reliance scheme introduced by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has encouraged many young people across Assam to pursue self-employment opportunities instead of depending solely on government jobs.
He claimed that during the BJP government’s tenure, more than 1.1 lakh youths have already been provided employment opportunities through various initiatives.
He further announced that if the BJP-led alliance returns to power in the upcoming Assembly elections, financial assistance under the CMAAA scheme will be extended to 15 lakh youths over the next five years to boost employment generation and entrepreneurship across the state.
In the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) alone, he said, around 15,000 additional youths will be covered under the scheme.
The minister also took a political jibe at opposition parties, referring to the removal of the Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal from the Congress alliance, and alleged that some political parties engage in vote-bank politics centred on minority communities, while the NDA alliance focuses on protecting the interests and rights of indigenous people.
Speaking on the occasion, BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary conveyed his best wishes to the beneficiaries and expressed hope that they would utilise the financial assistance to become self-reliant and contribute to the region’s economic growth.
He also informed the gathering that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Kokrajhar on March 13, where he is expected to participate in a major public programme and launch key development initiatives.
