The Assam Cabinet under the chairmanship of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has decided to recognize the OL CIKI script for Santali language in Assam.
Informing about the cabinet decision on Friday in Guwahati, state education minister Ranoj Pegu said, “Introduction of Santali as a medium of instruction will facilitate providing pre-primary and primary education to Santali communities. Santali is a language enlisted in the 8th schedule of the Constitution and spoken in many states.”
Welcoming the cabinet decision, All Santal Students’ Union hailed the state cabinet during a telephonic conversation with Pratidin Time.
Mintu Hembram, the president All Santal Students’ Union, said, "The introduction of the Santali language in primary schools had been our long-standing demand. Apart from the All-Assam Santali Sahitya Sabha, we have been raising this demand since 2005. Therefore, I welcome this decision of the state cabinet. I hope the Assam government will take all adequate measures to take forward the Santali language as much as the Assamese language. The Santal community in Assam are elated by the government's decision.”
Meanwhile, the cabinet has also approved Rs 852.68 crore for expediting construction of a 4-lane Elevated Corridor on GNB Road from Dighalipukhuri towards Noonmati near FCI Godown with a 2-lane extended arm towards Rajgarh Road under State Owned Priority Development (SOPD) for 2023-24.
The cabinet has also decided to abolish office of Divisional Commissioner and its statutory powers to be exercised by Principal Secretary, GAD.
Following this, the employees and assets of office of Divisional Commissioner to be transferred to respective DCs.
Further DCs will now be known as District Commissioners and they will have the power to transfer Gazetted, Non-Gazetted, third and fourth grade employees within their respective districts, however, for Gazetted employees, the DCs will have to take approval of Guardian Minister prior to his/her transfer.
On the other hand, the cabinet has also decided to approve to rollout of Category-III of the Assam Microfinance incentive and relief scheme (AMFIRS), 2021.