Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a pilot project to issue Aadhaar cards and birth certificates simultaneously to newborns in 13 medical colleges. Speaking at a press conference, he stated, “A centre will be established in the medical colleges to issue Aadhaar cards to newborns within days of their birth.”
Initially limited to medical colleges, the project will eventually extend to district hospitals, ensuring that children receive both documents soon after birth without the need for queuing later.
Several Other Initiatives
Financial Aid for BPL Youths: Under a scheme to support Below Poverty Line (BPL) youths in setting up small industries, Rs 2 lakh will be provided to each beneficiary. District-wise interviews for the first phase will occur from August 16 to September 5, with funds distributed by September 30. In this phase, 30,000 youths will receive funds, followed by 70,000 more in the second phase under the Mukhya Mantri Atma Nirbhar Asom scheme.
Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina Scheme: Applications for this scheme, which provides financial aid to 3 lakh girl students, will start on August 7.
Orunodoi 3.0 Scheme: An additional 20 lakh beneficiaries will be included from September, increasing the total to 47 lakh, contingent on Aadhaar and ration card possession.
Agricultural Targets and Environmental Initiatives: District commissioners have been directed to increase paddy, mustard, and maize procurement targets. The second edition of the Amrit Brikshya aims to plant three crore saplings by August 20.
Cultural Promotion: A ‘Jhumur’ dance event featuring 8,000 dancers from the state’s tea gardens will be held on November 20 to popularize the dance form.
These initiatives were discussed during a two-day district commissioners’ conference, which concluded on Tuesday. The conference also focused on ensuring smooth implementation and transparent conduct of forthcoming recruitment exams. District commissioners were instructed to abolish VIP culture in their districts, and from October 2, sub-districts will function as ‘equivalent districts.’
Additionally, CM Himanta welcomed the sentencing of former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Rakesh Paul, two former members, and 29 Agriculture Development Officers (ADO) involved in the cash-for-jobs scam, confirming that the convicted ADOs will be permanently dismissed from service soon.
