State Cabinet nod to Bill on elders’ care

The State Cabinet on Tuesday has approved the Assam Employees Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Bill that makes it mandatory for Assam government employees to look after their aged and dependent parent/s and physically challenged siblings, if any, who don't have their own source of income.

The State Cabinet also approved Rs 487 crore to upgrade the infrastructure of schools under 'Gunotsav'.

The Cabinet also increased the maximum age limit for OBC and MOBC to apply for jobs from 43 to 47.

Further, it also approved a new wildlife division for better administration and management of the Sixth Addition of Kaziranga National Park.

The Hojai-based Central Assam Afforestation Division has been renamed as Biswanath Wildlife Division and relocated to Biswanath. "It will help in better administration of the North Bank areas which were difficult to be managed by the Eastern Assam Division," said Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya.

The Cabinet also scrapped a rule of the Excise Act which pertains to sub-leasing of bottling plants and breweries. "The provision of sub-leasing may lead to a situation giving opportunity to the sublessee to take recourse to malpractices. Such a situation may lead to complications making it difficult for the department to fix responsibility and liability on the original license holder," Suklabaidya added.

It also decided to compensate 225 families whose land has been acquired for the expansion of the IITG.
The State Cabinet has also approved UGC's revised scale of pay for college teachers. Employees of Medical College and technical colleges will also get salary as per UGC revised pay scale.