Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 21 (ANI): The Assam government will ban production and use of drinking water bottles made of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) of less than 1 litre in volume from October 2 this year. The Assam government has also announced a ban on single-use plastic in the state from October 2 this year.

The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting held at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati on Friday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.

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“The state cabinet has approved to prohibition on the production and use of drinking water bottles made of PET of less than 1 litre in volume and strict implementation of the ban on Single-Use Plastic in the state as per the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021 and the ban will be placed in effect from October 2 this year with a 3 month transition period provided up to that date,” Sarma said while addressing the media.

“The state government will also ban on production and use of drinking water bottles made of PET of less than 2 litres in volume from October 2 next year,” the Assam CM said.

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The Assam Chief Minister also said that envisioning a flood-free Assam, the state cabinet has given consolidated administration approval for Phase I of the ADB-aided ‘Climate Resilient Brahmaputra Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Project’ to be executed through Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam at a cost of Rs 2097 crore.

“Under the project, integrated flood and riverbank erosion risk management activities would be taken up in the main stem of Brahmaputra river at vulnerable reaches in districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Morigaon, Kamrup and Goalpara. A total of 72.7 km of anti-erosion works and 3.27 km of embankment works are contemplated,” Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He also said that the state cabinet decided to free distribution of four 9-watt LED bulbs to approximately 50 lakh low-end households in Assam under Mukhyamantrir Dakshya Pohar soni/Mukhyamantrir Sanchay Pohar Asoni at an estimated cost of Rs 130 crore and it will ensure reduced energy consumption for users thereby reducing their bills, while also helping manage electricity load during peak hours.

“The state cabinet has approved to the procedure for empanelment of retired officers as Inquiry Officers for conducting Departmental Inquiries. Retired officers not below the rank of Joint Secretary or equivalent with an upper age limit of 70 years will be engaged for conducting departmental inquiries and submitting enquiry reports to the disciplinary authority within a time frame. The concerned department will provide secretarial assistance and the officer will get remuneration at Rs 1 lakh per Departmental Proceeding. The officer should not take up DP in departments where he/she has worked earlier in the last 5 years of their tenure,” Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The Assam Chief Minister also said that, in September this year, from Chief Minister to all cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs and 5000 selected government officers will spend 3-15 days in census villages of the state and will be monitoring the benefits getting by the villagers from 15 welfare schemes and will understand the problems faced by the villagers during their stay in villages.

“Chief Minister and all cabinet ministers of the state will stay in villages for 15 days, MPs-MLAs will stay for 7 days and 5000 government officers will stay for 3 days,” the Chief Minister said.

For fast-tracking growth in BTR, the state cabinet has approved Rs 400 crore, Rs 250 crore for over 3007 Amrit Sarovar under CMSGUY, allotment of 45 bighas land for construction of ‘Bodousa Kalakshetra’ under Tingrai Maouza of Tinsukia district, Rs 265 crore subsidy for electricity consumers. (ANI)

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