Dispur (Assam) [India], July 10 (ANI): The Assam cabinet on Thursday approved the proposal to enhance the remuneration of Gaon Pradhans from Rs 9,000 per month to Rs 14,000 per month with effect from October 1.

This has been done keeping in view the increasing responsibilities of the Gaon Pradhans in Assam and as per Budget announcement 2025-2026. This will also be extended to Gaon Pradhans of Forest Villages.

It also approved the proposal for the implementation of the Gaja Mitra Scheme in the eight most human-elephant conflict-prone districts namely - Goalpara, Udalguri, Nagaon, Baksa, Sonitpur, Golaghat, Jorhat and Biswanath.

According to an official release, it is proposed to form a community-based voluntary monitoring and rapid response team in the affected villages. Each team would consist of eight members from the local community in 80 locations for a period of six months during which the Human Conflict is at its peak and coincides with the paddy cultivation season.

The Gaja Mitra scheme shall help to establish a proactivetrained, and community-based support system that can complement the efforts of the Forest Department in mitigating Human-Elephant Conflict by facilitating coexistence, protecting lives and livelihoods, and enabling safe passage for elephants through traditional routes.

The cabinet approved to de-notify two villages namely, Mornoi Bebejia and Bebejia, from the Subansiri Tribal Block under Subansiri Revenue Circle, Lakhimpur district, where the population of protected persons is less than five percent.

The state cabinet has approved offering financial assistance in the form of a monthly stipend of Rs 1500 to the eligible celibate monks (Udasin Bhakats) residing in Satras of Assam. The decision to offer financial assistance is not only a gesture of respect but also a necessary step towards ensuring the wellbeing and sustenance of these bearers of tradition.

The state cabinet has approved the Draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Regulatory Guidelines to Prevent Coercive Practices by Private Nursing Homes/Hospitals in Assam.

In several key provisions, the Assam cabinet said that the hospitals must hand over dead bodies within 2 hours post-death certification, irrespective of pending payment. Delay beyond this may attract penal action.

'Incidents must be reported to police and district health authority within 4 hours. A 24x7 toll-free helpline will allow families to report coercion - 104. Escalations must reach the District Health Officer, Local Police, and Hospital Grievance Cell. Upon complaint, the designated authority must visit the site, release the dead body if wrongfully held and initiate legal proceedings,' the release said.

The cabinet also talked about penal action for guilty hospitals: 'License suspension (3-6 months), upto Rs 5 lakh penalty, blacklisting, or permanent deregistration for repeat offences.'

The state cabinet has approved the scheme - Assam Goods and Services Tax (Reimbursement for Indigenous Bell Metal Industries) Scheme, 2025 - to reimburse SGST paid by the Bell metal Manufacturer. The scheme will provide relief from financial hardship faced by the indigenous Bell Metal Manufacturers.

The State cabinet has approved the implementation of the scheme - Prerona Aasoni - a scheme of financial assistance at Rs 300 per month for a period beginning November 1, 2025 till the HSLC examination, to all the students studying in Class X in all the Schools of the State that are affiliated to the ASSEB (Div-I) and appearing in the HSLC Examination, 2026. The sum shall be transferred to the students through DBT mode.

The State cabinet has approved increasing the State incentive by Rs 1500 and Rs 750 for the Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers, respectively, with effect from October 1. As a result of this increase, the monthly remuneration will be Rs 8,000 for Anganwadi Workers and Rs 4,000 for Anganwadi Helpers.

The state cabinet has approved the proposal to change the name of the university from Rabindranath Tagore University to Rabindranath Thakur Vishwavidyalaya. (ANI)