Cabinet nod to create Barak Valley Development Department: Assam CM

Guwahati (The Uttam Hindu): At the first meeting after the expansion of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led cabinet in Assam, some key decisions were taken on Saturday. The cabinet has given its nod to the creation of the Barak Valley Development Department dedicated to opening new avenues for the progress of the southern Assam region. “To bring the administration to the doorstep of the citizens and strive for the equitable development of Barak Valley, the Cabinet has approved the creation of the Barak Valley Development Department. The Dept will benefit the people of Cachar, Sribhumi and Hailakandi through rapid development and create job opportunities for support staff,” the Assam government said in a statement.

The cabinet has accorded approval to the Production Linked Incentive of Rs 2/litre of ethanol for a period of 3 years to three grain-based ethanol manufacturing units to boost farmers' income and move to cleaner fuel alternatives. The cabinet has also approved the Policy of Compensation to the legal heirs or to the Next of Kin (NOK) of prisoners in cases of unnatural death. Taking to X, Sarma wrote, “In today's meeting of the #AssamCabinet after its expansion, we resolved to create a Barak Valley Development Department; Approve financial support to NOKs of deceased prisoners; Provide incentive to ethanol production to 3 units.”

Four ministers were inducted into the cabinet on Saturday. Prasanta Phookan, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul and Rupesh Goala took oath as ministers. This is the first expansion of the cabinet since Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office as the Chief Minister of the state three years ago. In the cabinet, there were four vacant berths -- three existed since Sarma took the post of Chief Minister, and one position became vacant after former minister Parimal Suklabaidya won this year’s Lok Sabha polls in the state.

Kaushik Rai is believed to be the replacement for Parimal Suklabaidya as both of them belong to the same district. Prasanta Phookan is an MLA from Dibrugarh while Krishnendu Paul is from Patharkandi Assembly constituency in the Sribhumi district. Rupesh Goala is a legislator from the Doom Dooma constituency in the Tinsukia district. Both Rai and Gola became MLAs in the 2021 Assembly polls while Paul won on a BJP ticket twice from the Patharkandi Assembly seat. Prasanta Phookan is a senior BJP leader and a four-time MLA from Dibrugarh.