The Assam Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, met on Sunday evening at Janata Bhawan and approved a wide range of decisions covering land, education, labour and administrative reforms. One of the major announcements was the creation of a dedicated tribunal to handle encroachment cases in Tribal Belt and Tribal Block areas. The tribunal will be headed by a retired judge and will allow people to challenge such encroachments through a stronger and more transparent legal process. The Chief Minister said the step is aimed at giving better protection to tribal land rights.
The Cabinet also approved an annual six percent salary increment for Grade III and Grade IV employees working in provincialised institutions. This decision is expected to bring relief to thousands of staff who have been seeking better financial stability. Along with this, the government revised the transfer rules for teachers working in remote or newly created districts. Under the new rules, women educators will now be required to serve five years before being eligible for transfer, while men will have to complete seven years. Earlier, the mandatory service period was 12 years for all.
The meeting also cleared amendments to the Provincialisation of Education Act. With the new provision, educational institutions set up up to the year 2006 can now be considered for provincialisation. Officials said this change will help bring 15 colleges and several thousand schools into the provincialised system. This will regularise many teaching posts and offer more stability to staff across the state. 
In the higher education sector, two major decisions were taken. The Cabinet approved the establishment of Azim Premji University at Palashbari, which is expected to accommodate nearly 10,000 students in the coming years. The university will offer scholarships and is expected to encourage more private investment in the education sector. The Cabinet also cleared a proposal granting NERIM the status of a private university.
In a major welfare measure for tea garden workers, the state government has decided to convert residential line lands within tea estates into government land. These lands will then be allotted to tea garden families. Around 2,18,553 bighas are planned to be given to 3,33,486 families. However, the land cannot be sold for 20 years. Even after this period, the land can only be transferred within the tea community. The government said the official announcement will be made on November 25.
The Cabinet also approved the formation of an Autonomous Council for the Karbi population living in Bhuyam, based on recommendations of the Justice Biplab Sharma Committee. Other decisions include land allocation for a Kendriya Vidyalaya at Jagiroad, approval of a Maintenance and Repair Hold Policy, and special incentives for aviation projects worth more than ₹10,000 crore.
The state government also decided to introduce a new Martyr Compensation Act and scheduled the presentation of the Justice Tiwari Commission and Justice Mehta Committee reports before MLAs on November 25. A special Cabinet session will be held on November 26 to discuss the long-pending issue of granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities of Assam.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sarma took aim at the Opposition, saying that the Congress lacked political maturity. He said the reforms were motivated by development and transparency, not by political gain. “History cannot be hidden. Doing so is a crime,” he said. He added that his government would not repeat the mistakes of past administrations and is focused on delivering results.
