Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 7 (ANI): The Assam Cabinet approved the introduction of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) as an option under the National Pension System for the employees of the Government of Assam who come under NPS on Monday.

During the state Cabinet meeting, held at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati and led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Cabinet adopted the UPS.

'This scheme will benefit employees in terms of old age security and will not be dependent on the returns of the market,' the Assam Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister also stated that the state cabinet has accorded approval to the Financial Sanction Proposal of Rs. 130 crore for the procurement of Bicycles to be distributed among 311,614 students studying in Class IX of schools under the Government of Assam in the State.

'Providing a bicycle to every Student in Class-IX will help in reducing dropout among the students and thereby will increase their retention and improve the transition rate from Secondary to Sr. Secondary level,' the Chief Minister said.

To reduce traffic congestion in Silchar town, the Cabinet has accorded the administrative approval for A project 'Construction of Elevated Corridor on NH-306 Section from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar, Assam (Phase-I) under SOPD-G for the year 2025-26' for an amount of Rs. 564.50 crore only of which Rs. 100 crore will be earmarked for land acquisition. The total length of the flyover shall be 3.5 km.

The elevated road project will provide uninterrupted, safe, and efficient movement through the heart of Silchar town, reduce travel time for commuters, and contribute significantly to the reduction of vehicular emissions, thereby supporting cleaner and greener urban mobility.

The Cabinet has approved the Amendments to the Medical Colleges and Dental Colleges of Assam, which is the Regulation of Admission into 1st year MBBS/BDS Courses) Rules, 2017.

The amendment to Rule 3(1) allows candidates who are permanent residents of Assam and study outside the state to be eligible for admission under the state quota. To qualify, candidates must have been permanent residents of Assam for the last three generations, which must be certified by the relevant District Commissioner.

Additionally, the clause in Rule 3(1)(c) that requires students to have studied in Classes VII-XII within Assam is proposed to be deleted. This change is intended to ensure that genuine permanent residents of Assam, who may have studied outside the state, are not excluded from eligibility. Under this scheme, Moran Community of Arunachal Pradesh will be eligible for MBBS and BDS admission in Assam under the state quota. The Moran Community living in Arunachal Pradesh will be treated at par with the Moran Community living in Assam for admission into MBBS/BDS courses in Assam, starting from the 2026 session.

The Cabinet has approved granting the minimum of the pay scale to 1231 muster roll, casual and fixed pay workers. Enhancement of the fixed pay equivalent to helper allowance @ Rs 16,400 to 99 fixed pay Grade-IV employees engaged under the General Administration Department, with prospective effect.

The Assam Chief Minister also said that the State Cabinet has approved the inclusion of 10,186 community cadres of Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM) (including BTR districts) of Panchayat and Rural Development Department as beneficiaries under the Orunodoi 3.0 Scheme to be disbursed from 7th October 2025. The inclusion of 10,186 additional beneficiaries will entail an additional expenditure of approximately Rs. 1.27 crore per month under the Orunodoi Scheme.

The Assam Government will pay Rs 5 Lakh to the NoK of the nine persons who had died in Tamil Nadu as financial support from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, in addition to the compensation which the families will receive from the Company where they were working. (ANI)