look news india
The Assam government has taken a very strict and historic step to bring discipline and social reforms in the administrative structure of the state. In the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, it was decided that if any government employee is found involved in more than one marriage (polygamy), he will be dismissed directly from the government job after a departmental inquiry.
The Chief Minister clarified that this new rule is not for any particular religion, but will apply equally to government employees of all religions and communities in the state. For this, amendment has been approved in the Assam Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964 and a new sub-section (Clause 6) has been added under Rule 7. Under this provision, if polygamy is proved, the employee can be immediately removed from service and declared permanently disqualified. The state government has already drafted a law imposing a complete ban on polygamy, which has been sent for the President’s approval through the Union Home Ministry.
The second biggest decision of the Cabinet is related to the high-level inquiry into the causes of the devastating floods and waterlogging in Eastern Assam. There was huge loss of life and property in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts due to the sudden surge of Dikkhau river and breach of embankment. Allegations were made locally and by the opposition that this man-made disaster was caused by large-scale illegal mining and uncontrolled construction work in the rivers bordering Nagaland.
The Chief Minister has announced that for a fair and transparent investigation into the real causes of the floods, the Assam government will send a letter to the Central Government within the next 10 days and officially recommend a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation. This will be the first time that an initiative is being taken by the country’s top investigating agency to investigate the technical and human reasons behind a situation resembling a natural disaster.
| decision/plan | Main decision of cabinet | Effect/Purpose |
| 1. The first defense park of the state | Defense manufacturing park approved on 6,000 bigha land | Defense production, aerospace industry and creation of thousands of jobs in the state |
| 2. New MSP for paddy purchase | Farmers now paid ₹2,640 per quintal | Direct increase in farmers’ income and economic strength through government procurement |
| 3. New Ropeway Projects | Agreement for 5 new ropeways between NHLML and Assam government | Expansion of tourism and easy public transport in hilly areas |
| 4. 13 State Regional Councils | Formation of 13 state level councils under ‘Developed Assam’ | Transparent implementation of government welfare schemes at the grassroots level |
The formation of 13 state level Regional Councils has been approved under the ‘Developed Assam’ roadmap to deliver development schemes in the state to the last mile without any administrative delay. These councils will directly monitor health, education, roads and rural development projects, thereby preventing leakages of the government budget and ensuring accountability.
These decisions of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government are being considered as a turning point in the direction of administrative transparency in the state, moving towards Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and upcoming economic industrialization.