Assam govt approves Rs 5,197-cr project for power sector modernisation
Guwahati (PTI): The Assam government on Saturday approved a Rs 5,197-crore project to modernise the power distribution infrastructure across the state.
The detailed project report for the implementation of the distribution infrastructure work in the power sector got a cabinet nod during the day in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"Total DPR cost for modernisation and system augmentation works is estimated to be Rs 5,196.91 crore," a cabinet communique shared by Sarma on X said.
The project for modernising the power distribution system of Assam will be implemented under the Union government's Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme.
The cabinet note also said, "The project is targetted to be completed by March 31, 2026 and will benefit approximately 67 lakh electrical consumers across the state."
The council of ministers also decided that a power purchase agreement would be executed for 100 MW at rates offered by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), enabling Assam to procure green power from renewable sources.
It also approved the Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana (MMLSAY) for streamlining medical reimbursement procedures for government staffers and pensioners.
"All medical reimbursement claims will be processed via an online portal of Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society. Medical reimbursement under MMLSAY will be done at Central Government Health Insurance Scheme (CGHS) rates," the cabinet document said.
The employees can opt for the scheme through monthly premium contributions with the amount determined as per their grade and it will be half of the CGHS rates, it added.
The cabinet also decided to provide government jobs to the next of kin or a family member of Army, Navy and Air Force personnel who made supreme sacrifice for the nation.
The government approved the exclusion of the entire Tiwa Autonomous Council area from the purview of the Assam State Capital Region.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
