Assam To Give Rs 1 Lakh Each To 1,000 Farmers, CM Sarma Announces

The Assam government will honour 1,000 progressive and educated farmers with a cash award of Rs 1 lakh each this year under the newly announced Chief Minister’s Agriculture Excellence Award, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday. The initiative is aimed at encouraging educated youth to view agriculture as a modern and viable career option. The awardees will also be introduced to various government schemes and programmes related to farming and agriculture.

Sarma said the government plans to recognise 10,000 farmers under the initiative over the next five years. The programme will focus on encouraging modern farming practices, strengthening agricultural research and improving productivity. The government aims to support farmers in adopting improved methods while helping them become more self-reliant and strengthening the agricultural sector in the state.

The Chief Minister also announced plans to establish a dedicated Youth Welfare Department to bring various youth-oriented programmes under a common administrative framework. The proposed department will include initiatives involving the National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme, employment exchanges and youth-related programmes in the education sector. It is expected to be launched around September 17, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.

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Sarma further announced a proposed financial support mechanism for women whose husbands, employed with the Assam government, abandon them without obtaining a legal divorce. Under the proposed arrangement, 20 per cent of the government employee’s salary would be deducted and transferred directly to the first wife’s bank account if she applies to the government and establishes that her husband has abandoned her and entered into another marriage without a legal divorce.

The Chief Minister also indicated that departmental proceedings and stringent action would be initiated against government employees involved in polygamy. He referred to an earlier government initiative under which 10 per cent of the salary of employees who abandoned their parents was transferred to their parents’ bank accounts. Sarma described that measure as successful and said the proposed mechanism for abandoned wives would follow a similar approach.

Meanwhile, the Assam government will launch Project Sadbhavana 2 from October 2 to January 31 to identify and clear pending government files. Sarma said more than three lakh files were pending across departments, directorates and Deputy Commissioner offices. A dedicated portal will allow citizens to flag pending cases, which will then be forwarded to the concerned authorities. Unlike the previous 2021 exercise, which was conducted manually, the new drive will use the e-file system to track and analyse pending cases more effectively.

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