Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday announced that the state government will honour 1,000 progressive and educated farmers with a cash award of ₹1 lakh each this year under the newly launched Chief Minister's Agriculture Excellence Award. Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said the initiative is designed to draw educated youth toward agriculture as a modern and viable career path.

About the Agriculture Excellence Award

Under the scheme, the 1,000 awardees will not only receive the cash prize but will also be introduced to a range of government schemes related to agriculture and farming. Chief Minister Sarma said the government plans to scale the initiative to recognise 10,000 farmers over the next five years.

'We must also attract educated youth towards agriculture. Therefore, we have decided to honour 1,000 progressive and educated farmers this year,' Sarma said. The programme will focus on promoting modern farming practices, strengthening agricultural research, and improving productivity to make farmers more self-reliant.

Youth Welfare Department in the Works

Sarma also announced plans to establish a dedicated Youth Welfare Department to consolidate various youth-oriented programmes under a single administrative framework. The proposed department would bring together the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), employment exchanges, and youth-related education initiatives under one umbrella. The department is expected to be launched around 17 September, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday.

Financial Protection for Abandoned Wives

In a notable social welfare measure, the Chief Minister announced a proposed financial support mechanism for women whose husbands — employed in the Assam government — abandon them without a legal divorce. Under the proposed measure, 20 per cent of the government employee's salary would be deducted and transferred directly to the first wife's bank account, provided she applies and establishes that her husband has abandoned her and entered into another marriage without obtaining a legal divorce.

Sarma added that departmental proceedings and stringent action would also be initiated against government employees found to be involved in polygamy. He drew a parallel with an earlier initiative under which 10 per cent of the salary of employees who abandoned their parents was transferred to the parents' accounts — a measure he described as successful.

Project Sadbhavana 2 to Clear Pending Files

The state government will also launch Project Sadbhavana 2 from 2 October to 31 January to identify and clear a backlog of pending government files. Sarma said more than 3 lakh files are currently pending across departments, directorates, and Deputy Commissioner offices.

A dedicated portal will allow citizens to flag pending cases, which will then be forwarded to the concerned authorities for resolution. Unlike the manual exercise conducted in 2021, the current drive will use the e-file system for more effective tracking and analysis of pending cases.