Guwahati, July 18: In a major policy move, the Assam Cabinet has given in-principle approval to treat drought as a state-specific disaster, enabling financial assistance to affected farmers under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Acknowledging the worsening drought-like conditions across the state, the government aims to extend timely relief as nearly half of Assam battles a weak monsoon.
The drought threat looms large over monsoon-dependent sali crops, with rainfall data showing alarming deficits in many districts.
As of July 13, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that 12 districts had received “largely deficient” rainfall—defined as 60 to 99 per cent below normal—while another 12 showed “deficient” rainfall, ranging from 20 to 59 per cent below average. Western Assam has been hit hardest, with several districts recording rainfall shortfalls of over 70 per cent.
Beyond the drought relief measure, the Cabinet cleared several significant proposals spanning energy, healthcare, tourism, and the tea industry.
To expedite energy projects and ease land access, the Cabinet approved the exemption of hydrocarbon exploration and production from the purview of the Assam Regulation of Reclassification and Reclassification cum Transfer of Lands Act, 2015. Subject to premium payments, this reform allows companies like Oil India Ltd (OIL) and ONGC to directly negotiate land leases or purchases with landowners, bypassing previous state-led acquisition procedures.
A dedicated online portal will be developed by the Revenue Department to streamline auto-reclassification and premium payments.
Marking 200 years of Assam Tea, the Cabinet sanctioned ₹342 crore under the Mukhya Mantri Eti Koli Duti Paat scheme. Over 7 lakh permanent and temporary tea garden workers (excluding managerial staff) will receive a one-time assistance of ₹5,000 each. Aadhaar-linked bank accounts will be mandatory for direct benefit transfer in a single instalment.
To strengthen healthcare infrastructure under the Advantage Assam 2.0 initiative, the government approved long-term land leases for the following private investments:
* 3.5 acres to Global Health Ltd. (Medanta) for a multi-speciality hospital.
* 1 acre to Lineage Healthcare Ltd. for a women’s and children’s healthcare centre.
* 1.75 acres to RJ Corp Ltd. for a hotel project, along with industrial incentives.
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