Guwahati: Only Assam domiciles will now get jobs in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC). This was decided during an Assam Cabinet meeting in Bongaigaon on Wednesday.
The meeting, chaired by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also decided to withdraw Assamese and English papers from the APSC exams to remove the language barrier.
However, it has put three conditions for the same: candidates must be a resident of Assam, their names must be registered in the state employment exchange, and they must be fluently in Assamese and/or other recognised state languages.
The cabinet also decided to grant all government employees a four-day leave to meet their parents in January 2022.
All employees of the Assam government will get holidays so that they can spend time with their parents. But if an employee lost both their parents, then these leaves can be used to meet their parents-in-law.
These leaves will be given only to visit parents. Employees staying from their parents will get time to pay a visit, or the employees living with their parents can go for a vacation.
However, employees who do not wish to visit their parents will not get these leaves. Even ministers, IAS officers, IPS officers, everyone can enjoy these leaves.
The cabinet also decided to enhance 31 per cent dearness allowance/dearness relief (28%+3%) to all government employees, pensioners, family pension holders, and extraordinary pension holders at the revised rate from July 1, 2021.
The cabinet also merged the Board of Secondary Education Assam (SEBA) and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC).
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, CM Sarma said currently, the SEBA and AHSEC are functioning separately and the decision to merge the two educational boards in Assam has been taken to fully implement the new National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP 2020).
The cabinet has decided to implement the 5+3+3+4 system in the state. The decision was because of the new National Education Policy, which talks about abolishing higher secondary classes from colleges at the earliest. According to the announcement, all high schools would be converted into HS schools.
About 1,000 schools will be converted into Higher Secondary (HS) schools in the first phase. Whereas, all lower primary schools would be merged with nearby Middle English (ME) schools to prevent student dropouts.
The cabinet also decided to introduce an e-procurement system for procurement of items above Rs 25 lakh. However, the exemption has been made in case of “emergency procurement: and “urgent works” as defined in the Assam Public Procurement rules, 2020. The exemptions have been given to 10 statutory autonomous councils of Mora, Kamatapur, Bodo Kachari, Matak, Rabha Jasang, Mising, Tiwa, Deori, Thengal Kachari and Sonowal Kachari.
The cabinet also decided to extend PMAY benefit to occupiers of government land for 10 years, provided that the persons in occupation of government land are eligible for settlement and land is found fit for settlement.
