Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday, 11 August announced a raft of decisions from a state Cabinet meeting held at Lok Sewa Bhawan, Dispur, headlined by the release of ₹450 crore to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) for developmental works in the financial year 2026-27. The decisions span youth welfare, government appointments, OBC certification, Aadhaar enrolment, infrastructure, and agricultural taxation.

Bodoland and Infrastructure Funding

The Cabinet approved the first instalment of ₹450 crore under the State Own Priority Development Fund-General (SOPD-G) to the BTC for 2026-27. In a separate infrastructure push, ₹2,100 crore was cleared for land acquisition and development of the Guwahati Aerotropolis Satellite City Project. The Cabinet also approved a 25-year power purchase agreement for the entire saleable output from the 25 MW Namrup Solar PV Project, and cleared a lease deed for the construction of a five-star hotel at Jagiroad.

Youth Welfare and Skill Schemes

A budget provision of ₹118.58 crore was approved for the Chief Minister's Jibon Prerana Scheme, under which 48,366 candidates selected in 2025 will receive ₹2,500 per month for the remaining 10 months of the applicable period. The payment structure under the Chief Minister's Foreign Language Initiative for Global Human Talent (CM-FLIGHT) was also revised. Training support will now be disbursed in three milestone-linked instalments — ₹30,000 each after three and six months of training, followed by ₹40,000 on completion and submission of a foreign language proficiency certificate.

Government Appointments and OBC Certificates

The Cabinet mandated police verification of all candidates appointed to government service to establish character, antecedents, nationality, and document authenticity. Verification must be completed within six months of appointment, while the existing system of notarised affidavits will continue to prevent delays. Separately, a distinct state-format OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate was approved for communities listed in Assam's state OBC list but absent from the Central OBC list, enabling them to access benefits in state government jobs and state-run educational institutions.

Aadhaar Relaxation and Agricultural Tax Relief

The Cabinet relaxed the restriction on fresh Aadhaar enrolment for persons aged 18 years and above belonging to the Moran and Matak communities until 31 March 2027. On the taxation front, agricultural income tax will be exempted on the first ₹10 lakh of total agricultural income, following a revision of tax slabs and exemption limits — a move that could benefit a significant segment of Assam's farming population.

What This Signals

The BTC funding comes amid ongoing efforts to consolidate peace and development in the Bodoland region following the 2020 Bodo Peace Accord. The breadth of Tuesday's Cabinet decisions — touching everything from solar power to OBC welfare — reflects the government's push to clear a wide legislative backlog ahead of the next budget cycle. How quickly these approvals translate into on-ground disbursement will be the key measure of their impact.