Dispur, January 29: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has decided here today to grant annual increment to the State Government employees at the rate of 3% of basic pay with retrospective effect. He said, the revised pay will be fixed notionally with effect from 1st January, 2006 and there shall be no increment based on performance (IBOP).

The Chief Minister further decided that the house rent allowance will be given at the rate of 15% of basic pay in Guwahati city, 12% in District and Sub-divisional Headquarters and 10% in all other places in Assam without any distinction between rented house and own house.

Chief Minister Gogoi has also enhanced today the fixed pay of the casual and adhoc employees from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 4500 per month. He directed the Finance Department to take expeditious action to prepare ROP and other necessary Government orders accordingly.

CM asks CS to settle revised scale with SAKP; directs Finance to release RoP within a week 

January 16, 2010: Assam Chief Minister Shri Tarun Gogoi today directed the Chief Secretary, Shri P.C. Sarma to hold discussions with the SAKP soon in view of the grievances raised by it relating to the revised pay scale.

Shri Gogoi asked Sri Sarma to hold discussions with the SAKP and to settle all issues relating to revised pay scale within six months.

      The Chief Minister also instructed the Finance Department to release the Revision of Pay Rules (RoP) within a week. 

SN/16.1.10 

CM seeks continued help from Bangla PM  for NE’s

peace and  progress

Dispur, January 12: Assam Chief Minister Shri Tarun Gogoi met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a meeting in New Delhi and discussed issues of mutual interests concerning both the countries.

          In course of discussions, Shri Gogoi appreciated the efforts of her government in taking strong and bold action against the extremists from the North East which, he said, would help a lot in bringing durable peace in the country in general and the North East in particular. It will also help in accelerating the pace of development in the region, the Chief Minister told the visiting Bangladesh Premier. The Chief Minister hoped that Bangladesh would continue to extend help and cooperation for lasting peace and progress in the region.

          Shri Gogoi urged Sheikh Hasina to initiate steps to open up the frontiers through more connectivity with the North East part of the country by reopening the rail, road and water routes. “This will help in economic development of both the countries through trade and commerce,” he said.

          The Chief Minister further urged the Bangladesh Prime Minister to take up steps for opening up the frontiers for development of tourism.

CM meets Pranab Mukherjee

Chief Minister Shri Tarun Gogoi met Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee at New Delhi and discussed about measures to be taken to control price rise of essential commodities. He urged upon the Union Minister to take suitable and effective measures by the Central Government to curb the increasing trend of prices of essential commodities to provide respite to the common man.

SN/12/1/10

CM asks employees to call off agitation 

Dispur, January 11: Assam Chief Minister Shri Tarun Gogoi today asked the agitating State Government employees to call off their agitation in the greater interests of the State and its people.

      Terming the agitation unjustified in the light of the constitution of the Anomalies Committee by the State Government to look into the grievances raised by the employees’ organizations, the Chief Minister said he would hold discussions with the employees’ organizations after submission of the report. “Let the Anomalies Committee submit its report first. If the employees’ organizations are not happy even after that, then I will hold talks with them to sort out the matter amicably.” 

 SN/11.1.10

Harness resources properly for region’s development: CM

Dispur, January 11: “The North East part of India is endowed with immense human and mineral resources and these resources must be harnessed properly for sustainable economic development of the region,” said Assam Chief Minister Shri Tarun Gogoi while inaugurating the first North East India International Meet 2010 at Pragjyotika ITA Centre here today.

Shri Gogoi said that the North East region can march triumphantly ahead and catch up with the advanced States if the huge resources are tapped in a scientific manner. “In spite of insurgency the North East is moving ahead, thanks to a change in the mindset of the people and a changed perception of the region both within and outside the country,” he said.

The Chief Minister underscored the need for increased connectivity through land, water and air to accelerate the pace of development in the region. “If a State or a region has to develop, road, air and water connectivity have to be augmented, which will help open the frontiers to trade and commerce and bring in investments in a big way,” he said.

He also stressed on the need of education in tune with the times. “Right type of education is the need of the hour to catapult a State to the path of progress and development,” he said while reiterating the Government’s avowed commitment to education.

Urging the NRIs to contribute their mite towards the development of the region, Shri Gogoi said, “The NRIs can definitely create an impact on the region’s economy if they put in their money and expertise.”

Shri Gogoi said that in the quest for development, one must not forget about striking a balance with the ecology. “Economic development must be ensured in such a way that it should not be at the expense of the ecology on which our very existence hinges,” he said, adding ‘Green technology has to be adopted to strike a balance with environment, otherwise it is fraught with dangerous ramifications to which the world is presently concerned with vis-à-vis global warming.”

 Lauding the efforts of Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS) for organizing the meet, he hoped that its endeavour would help to attract NRIs to this part of the country by bringing in investments in key sectors.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the president of FASS, Shri Shantikam Hazarika said the aim of the meet was to bring about a collective effort on the part of the region to usher in all-round progress and development. “If the region has to develop it has to channelise all its energies and that is what FASS aims at doing,” he added. CMD of FASS, Shri Ratul Baruah said that right thinking and right action are called for taking the region to high road to glory and prosperity. “We are working out of the box with new innovative ideas to bring about economic development in the context of global perspectives.”

The Chief Minister released a souvenir brought out on the occasion. The two-day international meet is being jointly organized by FASS and Government of Assam.

SN/1.1.10

CM appeals business giants to harness potential of Assam

Dispur, Jan 8 : ‘Assam is continued to be in the path of progress and development despite lot of challenges and constraints. The investors are also now putting their interest to invest in Assam to harness the potential of  Assam along with entire North East region’ – said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi  while speaking in the North East Business Summit,  held at Hyatt Regency Hotel  organized by Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata.

 Referring the rich mineral and bio diversity of the State the Chief Minister said that the government of Assam has already taken lot of developmental schemes to uplift the life style of the poor people of the State by concentrating industrialization of the sectors like agriculture, horticulture, water resource etc. ‘The government of Assam has been trying to reduce the cost of communication up to thirty percent by using more water ways and this will be a great boost in the field of food processing, tea and oil sector etc.’ said Mr. Gogoi.

The Chief Minister said that the government is giving more thrust on development of education sector and maximum utilization of the human resources in the various sector within the State. ‘The government is also giving more importance to various plantation schemes as well as to keep the ecological balance and also growth of bamboo industry, aromatic and medicinal plants and tea.’ said Gogoi. The Chief Minister also appealed the investors to change their perception about the law and order situation in Assam and the NE states which is wrongly depicted by the various agencies at national level. He also asked the business tycoons to visit the State and experience the improved law and order scenario as the situation at present is most conducive for setting up industries of any magnitude. Stressing on the development of health, tourism small scale industries, the Chief Minister disclosed government’s plan for setting up of five more Five Star hotels in the State.

He also thanked the Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for sanctioning of five more bridges over the river Brahmaputra and for the Look East Policy.

The business meet was attended   by B K Handique,   Union  DoNER Minister, S K Sahay, Union Food Processing Minister,  Biswambhar Saran, Chairman ICC, Chief Minister of Maghalaya D D Lapang, J Chakravarty Industry Miniter of Tripura and other  business giants of the country.

Life Time Achievement Award to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

The life time achievement award introduced by Indian Chambers of Commerce for all round contribution is given to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika was conferred today which was received by Surya Hazarika on his behalf.

RA/ 8/1/10

Assam Gas Company pays dividend to Sate Government

Dispur, Jan 5 : Assam Gas Company Ltd, Duliajan, a premier industrial enterprise of the Government of Assam has been making significant contribution to the State Exchequer by way of payment of Dividend, Donation to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund as token of its concern for the people of Assam and, through payment of Tax and Royalty through its business activities.

The Company has been regularly making profit and paying Dividend to the State Government every year for last several years. The company today paid an amount of Rs.126.85 Lakhs (Rupees One crore Twenty Six Lakhs Eighty Five Thousand ) only to the State Government of Assam. A cheque for the amount was presented to the Chief Minister  Tarun Gogoi by the Company's Chairperson, Smti. Amiya Gogoi and Managing Director, Shri B.Borpatragohain in a simple function at official residence of the Chief Minister at Khanapara which was attended, among others, by the Pradyut Bordoloi, Minister of Industries & Commerce, Shri Ravi Capoor, Commissioner, Industries & Commerce.

RG/ 5/1/10

Press Conference 1/1/2010

1. First priority will be given on Health, Education, Agriculture, Social Sector, connectivity and Employment Generation.
2. There will be Special Schemes for landless farmers including small and marginal farmers, weavers, village artisans, tea tribe workers, agricultural and other unorganized laborers.
3. A Housing scheme will be introduced for poor including flood and erosion affected people.
4. A separate Rural Development Authority will be fo~med.
5. A policy will be framed to preserve agricultural land from alienation and conversion.
6. Land settled/ allotted will be non-transferable and not to be sold.
7. For proper and effective preservation of Tribal Belt land, a policy will be framed.
8. A Rural Employment Generation scheme will be introduced.
9. Skilled Development Centres will be set up in each development block.
10. Growers Societies will be formed to eliminate middlemen and to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers.
11. Special schemes for promotion ofEriand Muga.
12. Special schemes for meritorious students of poor families.
13. A special programme taken for backward and interior areas.
14. Employment oriented educational institutes will be set up. Rs 100 crore will be spent.
15. There will be a Commission on Climate change.
16. Rs 400 crores will be spent on Rural Development and Employment oriented schemes.
17. There will be special schemes for small towns so that they develop in proper manner.
18. Sale counters of agricultural produce will be set up in all important places through Agricultural Marketing Board.
19. New township near Guwahati will be set up with proper planning and amenities.
20. A norm of green, eco-friendly buildings will be framed. Assam Secretariat will be declared as Green Building.
21. All Directorates of the Govt will be shifted to near Guwahati by pass for convenience of the public.
22. Fund allocation will be enhanced for Minority/SC/ST/Tea and all Development Councils (Mising/Ti wa/Rabha Hasong/Deuri/Sonowal Kachari/Thengal Kachari)
23. All other Development Councils of seven communities namely, Moran/Mattak/ Ahom/Tea Tribe/Koch Rajbonshi/Chutia/Nepali will be suitably assisted.
24. A special programme will be taken for backward and interior areas.
25. Neamati- Majuli- Lakhimpur bridge across the Brahmaputra will be taken up.
26. Concession to journalists for purchase of land.

With this substantial increase in the pay and allowances of the employees, I hope the work culture will improve and the employees will dedicate themselves to selfless public service in the true spirit of a public servant.

In this connection, I would like to mention that quite a few states like Andhra Pradesh and Manipur are yet to revise the pay of their employees. Some states like, Tripura, Meghalaya, West Bengal have not adopted Central Government pay scales. Even an advanced state like Karnataka has not adopted the Central Government pay scales. Their revised pay structure is lower than that of Government of India. Moreover, while we shall continue to pay Dearness Allowance at the same rate as the Central Government, DA rates in some other states are lower. For example, the West Bengal DA rate is two installments behind the Central Government. When I came to power in 2001, the Assam Government DA rates were 12% behind the Central Government. I brought it at par with Government of India and I am continuing to do so.