GUWAHATI, March 15 � Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi today proposed a host of new schemes in his Budget speech, which included setting up of new universities, medical and engineering colleges as well as a special employment generation programme. He also proposed 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies.
He has also proposed budgetary allocation for revision of state government employees� salaries and introduction of the revised pay scales of the UGC and the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) for university and college teachers.
A plot of land measuring 30 bighas has been identified near the Assam Engineering College campus for the proposed women�s university and Rs 1 crore has been provided to start work. The university is being named as Rajiv Gandhi Women�s University.
The residential building of Sahityarathi Lakhminath Bezbaruah at Sambalpur in Orissa is proposed to be taken over and developed as Assam Museum. An amount of Rs 1 crore has been provided to start the work. A statue of Lachit Borphukan is proposed to be installed in the middle of the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati at a cost of Rs 4.50 crore. A statue of Miles Bronson, the American Missionary who made invaluable contribution towards development and promotion of Assamese language, is proposed to be installed at Sivasagar. An amount of Rs 15 lakh has been provided for the purpose.
The Chief Minister proposed an amount of Rs 10 crore to provide cultural items to 12600 cultural clubs and organisations. A state institute of drama is also proposed and an amount of Rs 1 crore has been earmarked to start the work. Gogoi also proposed setting up of an Assam Sangeet and Sahitya Academy with its headquarter in Guwahati and an amount of Rs 1 crore has been provided to start its work. Besides, an amount of Rs 2 lakh has been proposed to be given as grant in aid to the Indian Arts History Congress. He further proposed to set up an institute for research and documentation of the heritage of the indigenous people of the NE region with an initial allocation of Rs 5 lakh.
Unemployment: Stating that there are over 20 lakh unemployed youths in the State, of whom over 13 lakh are educated, the Chief Minister proposed a new scheme called special employment generation programme for creation of gainful employment opportunities for these youths. An amount of Rs 200 crore has been allocated for these programmes.
To further augment the resources for employment generation, he has proposed to tap institutional finances and other sources. For this purpose, he has proposed creation of an Employment Generation Financial Corporation.
Gogoi proposed to earmark 30 per cent of the Government jobs within the existing parameters for the unemployed youths belonging to the rural areas.
Education: Steps are being taken up for an Assam Hills University, Assam Hills Medical College and Research Institute and Assam Hills Engineering College with campuses in both Karbi Anglong and NC Hills districts. He also proposed a new medical college at Diphu, while, another medical college is proposed in Nagaon in PPP mode. A Regional Institute of Cooperation and Management Training is proposed at Sivasagar.
A technical university is proposed to be set up in Nagaon district in public-private- participation mode and an amount of Rs 1 crore has been provided to start work on it. Two new engineering colleges have been proposed, one each in Dhemaji and Goalpara districts and an amount of Rs 8 crore has been provided to start work. One polytechnic institute each in Hailakandi, Barpeta and Dhubri districts has also been proposed with an initial allocation of Rs 3 crore. An amount of Rs 10 crore has been provided for setting up a skill development centre in each block.
Chief Minister Gogoi has proposed setting up a Jyoti Chitraban Film and TV Institute at Changsari and a provision of Rs 2 crore has been proposed for establishment of Jyoti-Bishnu Cultural University and Asom Sangeet Academy.
An amount of Rs 400 crore has been provided in the Budget for giving financial assistance to 16,130 venture schools and colleges. Rs 200 crore has been budgeted for 8591 venture LP and 4745 recognised upper primary schools, while, Rs 130 crore has been provided in the secondary education sector, which will benefit 2019 educational institutions. Another Rs 35 crore has been budgeted to benefit 633 madrassa schools. An equal amount has been provided under higher education to benefit 142 venture colleges. He also proposed grants in aid to 700 kheraji madrassas at Rs 5 lakh each and also to 100 Sanskrit schools tols at the same rate. An amount of Rs 40 crore has been provided for the purpose.
A development grant of Rs 5 crore each has been proposed for Gauhati and Dibrugarh universities. A state level Sanskrit University has been proposed to be set up in Nalbari in the name of seventh century Kamrupa King Kumar Bhaskar Barman. Rs 2 crore has been provided for the purpose initially. Construction of four new girls hostels at Gauhati University has been proposed and Rs 4 crore has been provided for the same. Jorhat Prince of Wales Institute of Engineering and Technology will be renovated and Rs 5 crore has been provided for the purpose.
Gogoi proposed to identify schools with excellent academic records at Class X and Class XII levels and to provide financial support of Rs 2,000 per month to each of the 20 meritorious BPL students in each of the districts. An amount of Rs 12 crore has been provided for giving solar lamps to one lakh students.
Women development: The Chief Minister proposed to reserve up to 20 per cent of the Government supplies and contracts not exceeding Rs 10 lakh for women. He has also proposed to enhance the exemption limit to two per cent for registration fees of land not exceeding Rs 2 lakh, for women. Fifty thousand single unemployed women will be provided assistance at the rate of Rs 10,000 each. Similarly, marriage assistance will be provided to BPL girls at the rate of Rs 10,000 each and cash assistance of Rs 5 thousand each to one lakh women�s self help groups has also been proposed. An amount of Rs 1 crore has been provided to State�s Women�s Commission as building grant. For welfare of youth and women, he proposed to set up a women welfare and a youth welfare councils.
BPL families: With a view to providing food security to the people below the poverty line, a new scheme is proposed to supply 10 kgs of rice per month to 13 lakh such families at the rate of Rs 6 per kg. An amount of Rs 150 crore has been provided for the purpose. He also proposed distribution of yarn and blankets to 20,000 BPL beneficiaries per LAC and an amount of Rs 100 crore has been provided for the same.
Terror victims: Children of the fatal victims of terrorism will be given a one time incentive of Rs 1 lakh each if they go for professional courses like medicine, engineering, architecture, designing and management. Two per cent of the Government jobs has been proposed to be reserved for the next of kin of victims of terrorism and secret killings.
