Guwahati: The Assam government on Wednesday announced that it will give a monthly pension of Rs 15,000 to 301 people jailed during the Emergency period.
Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal said the state government considers the people jailed during the Emergency as ‘Lok Tantra Senani’.
“To recognise their contribution towards democracy and to honour their sacrifices, the Assam Cabinet today approved giving a monthly pension to 301 people. They will receive Rs 15,000 per month. If the person is no more, his wife will get the amount, and if both of them have died, their unmarried daughter will get this sum,” he said.
The state will spend Rs 45.15 lakh per month and Rs 5.418 crore per year to pay pensions to Loktantra Senanis, he added.
Singhal claimed that many states in India are providing pension to jailed people of the Emergency period, but the amount given by Assam is the “highest”.
The Emergency was imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi for a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977.
Assam shares a connection with the Emergency which was imposed in 1975. The then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and the then Congress president Devakanta Barua were both from Assam.
Ahmed had, acting on the advice of Indira Gandhi, declared the Emergency while Barua, a staunch loyalist of Indira, is remembered for his statement, ‘Indira is India and India is Indira,” reported media.
Again, talking about other decisions of the cabinet, Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday will sign an agreement in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to end their long-standing border disputes.
“There were many joint regional committees and they were discussing the border disputes for many months. Two days ago, they submitted their suggestions and the Assam Cabinet approved those today,” he said.
Assam and Arunachal Pradesh share a 804.1-km border in Udalguri, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Charaideo districts. There are 1,200 points of dispute along the interstate border.
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Baruah also said the cabinet approved investment proposals worth Rs 8,201.29 crore for eight mega projects.
“These projects will result in direct employment of 6,100 youths, while the number of indirect jobs will be even higher,” he added.
Besides this, the cabinet also decided to appoint 10 medal winners of the 36th National Games, 2022 in Gujaratin class III posts in the directorate of sports and youth welfare as per the Integrated Sports Policy of the state.
These medal winners are Ananya Saikia, Adinita Kakaty, Ankushita Boro, Chayanika Gogoi, Sanma Brahma, Rongila Daimary, Bikram Changmai, Dipankar Sarmah, Bangita Hazarika and Ananda Kumar Narzary.
“The government has decided to appoint them in a bid to encourage the youth to pursue sports and recognise their achievements,” he added.
Also Read | MoU to resolve border issues with Arunachal to be signed soon: Assam minister