Assam Cabinet Implements Key Reforms for Community Empowerment and Security

In a recent Cabinet meeting, Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced significant reforms aimed at community empowerment and enhanced governance. Key decisions include amendments to the Moran and Matak Autonomous Council Acts, extensive land allotments under Mission Basundhara 3.0, and stricter regulations for Aadhar issuance. The Cabinet also addressed security concerns, revealing measures to prevent illegal registrations and detailing the response to a recent grenade attack. With a focus on transparency and community representation, these initiatives are set to reshape governance in Assam.
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Assam Cabinet Implements Key Reforms for Community Empowerment and Security

Significant Decisions from Assam Cabinet Meeting


Guwahati, June 27: During a recent Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled a series of initiatives focused on enhancing community empowerment, improving governance, and implementing strict measures against infiltration and misuse of documents.


Among the key decisions were amendments to the Moran and Matak Autonomous Council Acts, extensive land allocations under Mission Basundhara 3.0, and new administrative protocols for issuing Aadhar cards and birth certificates.


The Cabinet approved the Moran Autonomous Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, and the Matak Autonomous Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, which revise the 2020 Acts. These ordinances redefine council jurisdictions to include only those villages where the Moran or Matak communities hold a majority, as designated by the state government.


CM Sarma stated, “Voting for the councils will be restricted to individuals from the Moran or Matak communities residing in the notified areas. Other groups will not participate in these electoral processes.”


“We will prepare separate voter lists and conduct elections by November or December this year,” he added.


Each council's General Body will comprise 30 elected members, including 5 reserved seats for women from the respective communities, fostering community leadership and gender representation.


The Cabinet also sanctioned the allotment of government land under Mission Basundhara 3.0, which includes:


  • 942 infrastructure projects across 11 districts initiated by state government departments
  • 1,977 non-government educational, religious, and socio-cultural institutions across 12 districts


“We have ensured that anganwadi centres, lower primary schools, temples, namghars, and women’s committees now possess legal rights over the land they occupy,” the CM remarked.


Additionally, the Cabinet amended the Assam Panchayat (Constitution) Rules, 1995, to guarantee fair representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Zilla Parishad offices.


The reservation process for President and Vice President posts in ZPs will now utilize a lottery and rotational system, excluding seats already reserved by similar methods. This process will be conducted transparently in the presence of political representatives and administrative officials.


CM Sarma announced significant administrative reforms to prevent illegal Aadhar registrations by foreign nationals, particularly from Bangladesh.


“From now on, only the District Commissioner will have the authority to issue Aadhar to adults. Previously, anyone could obtain it at an Aadhar Kendra, but that will no longer be the case. This measure will prevent fraudulent registrations by Bangladeshi nationals,” Sarma emphasized.


He also mentioned that obtaining birth certificates will now be more stringent, requiring routing through the DC’s office, with mandatory documentation for both birth and death registrations as prerequisites for inclusion in voter lists.


“We are enacting strict laws to combat infiltration. Just yesterday, we repelled 20 illegal Bangladeshi nationals,” he noted.


In response to the recent grenade attack in Bokakhat, the Chief Minister confirmed that all suspects have been apprehended, revealing a broader conspiracy involving planned attacks in Golaghat, Tezpur, Guwahati, and Lakhimpur.


“These individuals were not militants; one was a former ULFA member, while others had backgrounds in petty crimes and drug trafficking. We have recovered all grenades and a pistol. One key suspect remains at large, and we are investigating who instigated this group,” he stated.


Regarding the APSC recruitment scandal, the CM clarified that the Gauhati High Court has not reinstated the accused but has instructed that discharge orders be made non-stigmatic.


“There is no directive for reinstatement. The HC indicated that discharge orders should not reference the APSC case, allowing individuals to seek employment elsewhere. We are contemplating an appeal to the Supreme Court, particularly concerning the Assam Police services,” Sarma concluded.


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