In a crucial meeting held on July 31, the Assam Cabinet announced a wide array of policy decisions impacting land reforms, education, water supply, and welfare, alongside the transfer of a high-profile investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
One of the most significant decisions was the transfer of the suspected suicide case of PWD Assistant Engineer Joshita Das to the CBI for an impartial and comprehensive investigation. The move follows rising public and institutional pressure for accountability in the case.
In today’s meeting of the #AssamCabinet, we resolved to
✅Hand over Joshita suicide case to CBI
✅Approve Badarpur Water Supply Scheme
✅Extend ambit of Jiban Anuprerana Scheme
✅Ex-Gratia for NOK of SwaJal Mitras
✅Land settlement for indigenous communities pic.twitter.com/pdrtHuWNon— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 31, 2025
Land reforms under Mission Basundhara 3.0 featured prominently, with approvals for:
- Conversion of 299 land proposals from Annual Patta to Periodic Patta across eight districts,
- Allotment of land for 10 infrastructure projects,
- Reclassification of land for 118 proposals in Dibrugarh,
- Transfer of land to 190 non-individual juridical entities in seven districts, and
- Settlement of land to 1,742 indigenous landless families in Dhemaji.
Further, the Cabinet approved land settlement rights for indigenous communities — including Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Matak, Moran, Chutia, Gorkha, tea garden workers, and Adivasis — in the Tirap Tribal Belt, for those occupying land prior to 2011.
In urban planning and irrigation, the Cabinet cleared two aerial LiDAR surveys:
- A GIS database for Guwahati, covering 328 sq. km, to aid in planning roads, drains, transformers, and pumping stations;
- A survey for the Sonai Irrigation Project in Cachar, spanning 147 sq. km, focused on catchment area analysis and canal mapping.
The Cabinet also expanded the Chief Minister’s Jibon Anuprerana Scheme to include all full-time research scholars, including Divyang students, admitted to government institutions in Assam after April 1, 2021. Nearly 10,000 scholars are expected to benefit.
In terms of public welfare, the Cabinet approved:
- ₹5 lakh ex-gratia support for families of SwaJal Mitras/Jal Sahayaks who pass away during service,
- A mechanism to allow interchange of performance guarantees and bill dues for JJM contractors, offering financial relief, and
- A ₹49.588 crore drinking water supply scheme for Badarpur town, aimed at delivering round-the-clock piped water.
