GUWAHATI, Nov 10 � The number of educated unemployed youth who have registered themselves with the Employment Exchanges of the State rose to 13,53, 481 in June last from the 11,02,857 on December 31, 2000.
This was stated by Labour and Employment Minister Prithibi Majhi in reply to a short-notice question of Leader of the Opposition Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in the State Assembly today. The figures relating to the education unemployed youth is compiled after every six months, said the Minister.
The Minister told the House in reply to the same question that in total 5,444 educated unemployed youth secured jobs through the Employment Exchanges. However, the Labour and Employment Department does not keep records of those employed by the Government or the non-Government establishments by advertising the posts on their own.
The State Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training provided employment to 262 educated unemployed youth between 2001-2002 fiscal and 2009-10 fiscal in its office and in the offices placed under it, said the Minister.
Majuli development: In reply to a question of Hiren Kumar Das (AGP), Cultural Affairs Minister Bharat Chandra Narah told the House that the measures for development of 20 sattra institutions in Majuli river island were taken by utilizing an amount of Rs 2,27,57,000 out of the amount of Rs 4 crore allocated with a budget provision in 2006.
Moreover, construction of museums in nine sattras of the island has also been undertaken with the utilization of Rs 220.94 lakh under the SPA, the Minister said.
The State Government made an allocation of Rs 129.75 lakh for the development of Majuli from its budget in 2008-09 fiscal. Of the amount, Rs 2595.75 lakh was released in 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscals. Implementation of the schemes is in progress, said the Minister.
Sattra institutions: Cultural Affairs Minister Bharat Chandra Narah told the House, in reply to a question of Gunindranath Das (AGP) that the Chenga-based Srimanta Sankardeva Bharidhowaghat Sattra in Barpeta district would be preserved as a historical site, while the Kamarkuchi Sattra, Chinpara Bhithi Sattra, Patbausi Sri Sri Sankaradeva Sattra Than and the Sundaridiya Sattra of the district would be provided grants-in-aid.
The State Archaeology Directorate has prepared a list of 861 sattra institutions for the purpose of providing assistance. The State Government is providing grants-in-aid to 135 sattra institutions in phases, utilizing a Central Government amount of Rs 96 crore. The State Government has also been extending assistance to 128 sattra institutions mobilizing its own resources.
The Government of India has asked for a detailed project report (DPR) for providing a grant of Rs 200 crore to these institutions and the Archaeology Directorate is preparing the DPR, said the Minister.
In reply to a supplementary from Leader of the Opposition Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the Minister told the House that the State Government is taking special steps to protect the Sattrasal Sattra on the Indo-Bangla border in Dhubri District and the Madhupur Sattra in West Bengal.
On the issue of setting up a Sangeet Natak Akademi branch at Barpeta, the Minister said that since the Akademi has set up a Sattriya Centre in Guwahati, the matter has not been taken up with the Akademi authorities.
In reply to Hiren Kumar Das' (AGP) question, the Minister said that there are 90 temples in the State. The State Government spent an amount of Rs 300 lakh, out of a grant of Rs 500 lakh received from the Central Government, in 2009-10 fiscal, on measures to protect Sri Sri Ram Rai Kuti Sattra in Dhubri district, Jarabari Sattra in Sivasagar District, Pukhuripar Sattra in Golaghat District.
Of the above Central Government grant, an amount of Rs 200 lakh has been spent on measures to protect the Baghewari Peeth archaeological site in Kamrup District, Amtal archaeological site in Nagaon district and Barbarua Maidam in Sivasagar district, he said.
As per the figures available with the Revenue Department, in all, 81 bighas, 3 kathas and 11 lechas of Sattra land are under encroachment, said the Minister.
Elaborating his point on the State Government assistance to the sattra institutions, the Minister told the House, in reply to the same question, that the State Government with its own budget provision, extended an assistance of Rs 3,72, 22, 772 for development of 63 sattras in 2006-07 fiscal. In 2009-10 fiscal, a grant of an amount of Rs 1 crore was extended to 65 sattra institutions, the Minister said.
