GUWAHATI, May 28 � The Assam Cabinet today decided to give a major boost to the farmers of the State by exempting all agricultural produce, apart from tea, from the Agriculture Income Tax.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that the Cabinet, at its meeting held at the official residence of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi this evening, cleared the draft amendment ordinance of the Assam Agriculture Income Tax Act of 1939.
Sources said this move of the State government would give a major relief to the farmers and encourage them to go for high value crops, vegetables and horticultural products in the days to come.
In another major step, the Cabinet decided to exempt ambulances, dead body carrying vans etc, from the purview of motor vehicles tax. The loss to be suffered because of this will be compensated by increasing tax on luxury vehicles costing Rs 10 lakh or more.
The Cabinet decided to amend the rules regarding appointments on compassionate grounds for relatives of those who die while in government service. Earlier, the relatives of government servants who die while in service had to apply within three months from the death of the government servant. But the rule has been changed and now the relatives of such persons will be able to apply for jobs on compassionate grounds within one year of death of a government servant.
The Cabinet also approved formal notifications of 20 monuments as State monuments. Sources said about a hundred monuments had already been identified by the government, but after receiving detailed reports from the Deputy Commissioners concerned, the Cabinet today approved the notifications on 20 in the districts of Sivasagar, Morigaon and Dhubri and the rest would be notified in a phased manner soon.
