Assam: Key Cabinet Decisions for Schools, GST and more

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jun 9, 2023 | Kabir Chakraborty

The government has decided to promulgate the Assam Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, in accordance with the GST Council's suggestion. color:black">

color:black">Digital Desk: The Assam cabinet decided on Friday to spend Rs 6
crore to implement the Olympic Values Education Programme at 250 state-run and
private schools across Guwahati in collaboration with the Abhinav Bindra
Foundation Trust (ABFT) in 2024-27.

color:black">According to the cabinet, this programme will address the
difficulties of sedentary lifestyles, lack of concentration, and adolescent
dropout.

color:black">In this context, clearance is awaited for the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding with the International Olympic Committee and the
Abhinav Bindra Foundation.

The government has decided
to promulgate the Assam Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, in
accordance with the GST Council's suggestion.

A state bench of GST
Appellate Tribunal will be set up with headquarters at Guwahati, the state
cabinet informed.

color:black">In celebration of 200 years of Assam’s Tea Industry, the cabinet
has approved to issuing of notification under the Assam Agricultural Income Tax
Act, 1939 for granting tax exemption on agricultural income for a period of 3
years with effect from April 1, 2023.

color:black">The Assam Right to Public Services (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023
will be enacted to alter sections 8A and 8B of the Assam Right to Public
Services Act, 2012 in order to improve the delivery of designated RTPS services
and strengthen the RTPS appeal procedure.

color:black">The Assam ESI Doctors' Service Rules, 2000, will be changed to
ensure the seamless administration of Assam's Employees' State Insurance
Doctors' Service.

The proposed modification,
according to the cabinet, intends to shorten the minimum service tenure of a
Superintendent/Medical Officer in Charge (I/C) or equivalent post from 5 years
to 2 years in order to be eligible for promotion to Administrative Medical
Officer (AMO).

Notably, this is being done because all
previous Superintendents/Medical Officers (I/C) retired before meeting the
needed criterion for AMO, for which the ESIS, Assam office has not had a
full-fledged AMO since 1964.

Furthermore, the cabinet has resolved
to approve the framework of the Digital Infrastructure for DBT Schemes (DIDS)
platform, as well as its subsequent rollout and adoption to streamline the
distribution of welfare payments to citizens.

An integrated Social Registry would be
created initially with the Orunodoi database and NFSA programmes, including
Aadhaar data.

Beneficiaries of additional on-boarded
programmes will be added to the registration later, according to the
government.