Swagata Satirtha clears first 4,000 transfers as Assam pushes for transparency, staff ease

Guwahati, June 7: In a boost to Assam’s digital governance drive, the Swagata Satirtha portal—a dedicated online platform to facilitate mutual transfers for Grade III and IV government employees—issued its first set of transfer orders on Saturday.

Handing out over 4,000 transfer orders to benefit 9,004 state employees in Guwahati, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described it as a "milestone moment" in the state’s digital governance journey.

At the event, ten employees from various departments received their transfer orders in person, marking the portal’s operational readiness.

In his address, the Chief Minister stressed on the broader objective behind the initiative—mental well-being and job satisfaction.

Drawing comparisons with other states, Sarma said Assam was going beyond conventional approaches in employee welfare.

“When I travel to other states or even countries, I see that most governments still operate by textbook rules, offering only age-old benefits. Hardly any state is thinking ahead. If we compare West Bengal and Assam, the DA gap is nearly 30%. Yet, GDP-wise, West Bengal ranks 7th or 8th, while Assam stands at 17. Still, we’ve delivered innovative schemes that work,” he said.

He also stressed how the portal will bring transparency to the entire inter-departmental transfer process.

“Earlier, employees had to make four to five trips to the Secretariat just to get a transfer approved. Many ended up spending Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 in the process. Bribes were not uncommon. But today, neither department officials nor anyone in the Secretariat asks for money. Transfers are handled entirely online through the Swagata Satirtha portal,” Sarma said.

He added that the portal would be reopened during the next phase of ADRE recruitment, with employees given three opportunities to apply.

The Swagata Satirtha portal, which opened for registrations on February 28 this year, has already seen strong engagement, with over 31,000 government employees participating.

Of these, 21,000 successfully uploaded their profiles, while the rest either faced technical issues or did not meet the eligibility criteria. Acknowledging the importance of location preferences, the government has worked to incorporate a wide range of destinations into the portal’s system to accommodate as many requests as possible.

Sarma also listed a series of successful state-run initiatives aimed at employee welfare and systemic reform. Highlighting the popularity and impact of schemes like Apun Ghar Asoni and Apun Bahon Asoni, the Chief Minister said the state was focusing on long-term security and psychological well-being.

He also referred to the regularisation of contractual teachers under the Sarba Shiksha Abhiyan, noting that many opted in despite facing a pay cut of Rs 8,000.

“I asked the Education Department why so many were applying for regularisation despite the loss. The answer was clear—people value financial security and pension benefits. That’s how much they trust these schemes,” he added.

Jiban Anuprerana Scheme

As announced earlier, the Chief Minister also launched the Jiban Anuprerana Scheme for unemployed research scholars and graduates. Under the scheme, eligible research scholars will receive Rs 25,000 in financial aid, while differently-abled scholars will get Rs 40,000.

“Many scholars had to pause their work due to lack of funds. This scheme will help bridge that gap,” Sarma said. The application portal will remain open till August 15, with verification to be completed by September 25 and disbursement expected by October 1.

With the dual launch of Swagata Satirtha and Jiban Anuprerana, Assam continues to push the boundaries of digital governance and public service delivery.