Assam Cabinet takes revolutionary decisions on administrative, financial reforms to speed up development

Guwahati, July 10:  Two far reaching decisions were taken in a special sitting of Assam Cabinet held on the occasion of completion of 60 days in office by the new government headed by the Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The Chief Minister informing about the decisions said that a new department would be created in the state to look after indigenous faiths and culture. The new Department of Indigenous Faith and Culture will not be under any ministry though a minister will be in-charge of it. It will be a sort of autonomous department.
The CM informed that Finance Department had been requested by the Cabinet to make generous budgetary allocation for setting up of the new department. 

Administrative and Financial reforms 

In order to expedite the process of implementation of various development schemes and projects in the state by reducing the time require for approval and financial sanction of these projects Assam Cabinet today took following revolutionary decisions:
    In respect of schemes worth upto Rs 2 crore, approval will be provided by the Departmental Standing Committee.
    In respect of schemes worth over Rs 2 and upto Rs 5 crore, the approval will be accorded by the Standing Financial Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary and the committee will sit every Friday.
    In respect of schemes worth over Rs 5 upto Rs 100 crore, the approval will be given by the Special Standing Financial Committee headed by the Finance Minister and the committee will sit on Every Thursday. 
    Schemes worth over Rs 100 will be directly sent to the State Cabinet which sits every Wednesday, for approval.
    After approval of the schemes ceiling will be proposed to the Finance Ministry.
    Preparation of proposal for every schemes will start at the level of Deputy Secretary of the department while staff below that rank including superintendents and dealing assistants will only prepare the file for the proposal. From now onwards dealing assistants and superintendents will not give note on any proposal.
    In case of regular and establishments schemes/projects the proposal for further sanction of fund will directly be sent to the Finance Minister by the head of the department without having to route it through the secretary of the Department.
    For filling up of vacant posts, the decision will be taken by the department as it will not require approval of the Finance Department.
    However, prior approval will be required from the Finance Department to create new posts.

The Chief Minister said that the new procedure that has been decided upon today, will cut short the long prodecure now required  to get aproval for a scheme or project which has hampered the speed of implementation of  developmental schemes.