3.80 Lakh New Houses, Women Loan Scheme, and More: CM Sarma’s Key Updates

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday addressed a press conference at Janata Bhawan, where he announced major updates on government schemes, employment policies, and upcoming high-profile visits.

PMAY: 3.80 Lakh New Houses for Assam

The Chief Minister informed that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the central government has allocated 3.80 lakh new houses for Assam. The first installment for house construction will be disbursed on March 19, with a central event to be held in Palashbari. So far, 22 lakh families in Assam have benefited from the scheme.

However, the CM acknowledged that many families are still left out of the scheme. To address this, the Assam government has urged the Centre for another round of geo-tagging. This time, a new system of geo-tagging will be introduced, where ‘Jeevika Sakhis’ will conduct the process with assistance from Self-Help Groups. The geo-tagging will be done only by ‘Jivika Sakhis’ from the nearest village, and there will also be a provision for families to geo-tag their own houses.

The final geo-tagging will be verified by the Panchayat & Rural Development Department, followed by the approval of the Gram Sabha and the Block-Level Committee. At the district level, a committee chaired by the Guardian Minister will review the list before submission to the Government of India.

During the press meet, Panchayat & Rural Development Department Principal Secretary Jan Ekka provided insights into the ‘Awas Portal’ and ‘Awas Plus’ initiatives. The geo-tagging drive will be conducted between March 17 and March 31, and all necessary details will be publicized through advertisements.

Mahila Udyamita Scheme: Assam’s Largest Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs

The Chief Minister also discussed the Mahila Udyamita Scheme, announced in the state budget, which provides group-based loans for women entrepreneurs. He emphasized that this is one of the largest schemes for women in India.

• Women must form a group of 10 members to be eligible for loans.
• In the first phase, each woman will receive a loan of ₹10,000, followed by ₹25,000 in the second phase.
• The government will cover 50% of the loan amount, while banks will provide the remaining 50%.
• By the third year, the loan amount will be increased to ₹50,000.

However, this scheme is not available for women with more than three children. Assam has 36 lakh women under Self-Help Groups, of which 29 lakh have three or fewer children. The scheme also extends to women from the ST, SC, Moran, Matak, and tea tribes who have up to four children.

The selection process involved three phases of surveys:

1. Checking the number of children women have.
2. Verifying children’s school enrollment records.
3. Reviewing women’s bank loan history.

After thorough verification, 26-27 lakh women will be selected, and the final list will be ready by March 31.

The scheme is also open to wives of government employees in Grade III and IV categories. The first installment of ₹10,000 will be disbursed in the Behali Assembly Constituency on April 1, where 23,000 women have already been selected.

The government plans to distribute funds to beneficiaries every month across 10-15 constituencies, and each selected woman will receive her loan via cheque. The beneficiaries will also undergo a three-day training program, after which they will receive their funds.

The CM called this initiative Assam’s largest women empowerment scheme after Orunodoi.

Job Security for Polytechnic Teachers

On the issue of Polytechnic lecturers’ dismissal, the Chief Minister addressed concerns regarding 370 part-time lecturers recruited in 2017, of whom 67 have already resigned. Some affected teachers had moved the Gauhati High Court, but the court ruled that contractual jobs cannot be regularized.

The CM, however, assured that there will be some relaxation in age criteria, as the state government is set to establish three new polytechnic institutes. However, candidates must qualify through examinations to secure permanent appointments.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Assam Visit

The Chief Minister provided a detailed itinerary for Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s upcoming visit to Assam:

• March 14 (Night): Shah will arrive in Jorhat and spend the night at the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy in Dergaon.
• March 15 (11 AM): He will inaugurate a newly constructed building at the police academy. This facility is being developed to match the standards of the National Police Academy in Hyderabad.
• Post-inauguration: Shah will depart for Mizoram, where the Assam Rifles headquarters will be shifted from Aizawl.
• March 15 (Night): He will return to Guwahati’s Koinadhora.
• March 16 (Morning): He will attend a meeting of the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) in Dotma, Kokrajhar.
• March 16 (Evening): Shah will return to Guwahati for a meeting at Radisson Blu Hotel, where he will meet Chief Ministers of Northeast states. The meeting will focus on the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Indian Justice Code) in the Northeast. Each of the eight northeastern states will present their own reports on the subject.
• March 16 (Night): He will return to New Delhi.

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