Guwahati, Dec 18 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said the state government will upgrade 50 border outposts (BOPs) with an outlay of Rs 100 crore in the first phase of an infrastructure development scheme. Addressing a meeting of the departments of Home and Border Protection and Development, the chief minister said, roads leading to the BOPs should be made motorable for efficient management of inter-state boundary areas and successful implementation of development programmes, an official release said. Mentioning that he was aware of the hardships faced by people while manning BOPs in remote areas, the chief minister said, personnel entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring security and peace in the inter-state boundary areas deserve good facilities. Sonowal directed the Border Protection and Development Department to chalk out an action plan on an urgent basis for construction of good quality roads and bridges for providing connectivity even to remote areas.
After receiving a request from the department, the government has decided to provide four motor cycles along with fuel and eight bicycles to each of the 100 BOPs, the chief minister said.
The officials were asked to amicably solve all outstanding boundary issues with neighbouring states through dialogue and hold regular talks with their counterparts.
Sonowal also took stock of the situation prevailing along the Indo-Bangla border that Assam shares with the neighbouring country.
The chief minister directed officials of the Labour department to take immediate steps to release medical assistance of Rs 5,000 each for 3.22 lakh registered construction workers in the state.
Reviewing the various schemes of the department, Sonowal said that the state government has taken various steps for the uplift of the downtrodden and underprivileged.
Schemes like ”Swahid Dayal Das Panika Swaniyojan Achoni” which provides Rs 25,000 to unemployed youths in tea garden areas for self-employment ventures should be extended to more beneficiaries, the chief minister said.
He asked the Labour department to take steps for bringing registered small shop owners and keepers under ambit of the pension scheme for the unorganised sector and expedite implementation of schemes like ”Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana” which provides monetary benefit in case of accidental deaths and disability. The chief minister also stressed the need to enrol at least 10 lakh small shopkeepers under the pension scheme within February and generate awareness among labourers of the unorganised sector so that they go for Aadhar registration for deriving benefits of central government schemes, the release said. PTI
