ASSAM

New Arunodoi schemes will be provided to 35 lakh families, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said during his visit to Tangla.

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A huge rally took place at Tangla High School where he spoke about various schemes to be provided to the people.

While addressing the gathering CM Sarma mentioned that currently 20 lakh families are availing benefits through the Arunodoi scheme and that the amount will be increased to Rs.1400. Apart from Arunodoi scheme ration cards will be given to 60 lakh new beneficiaries.

“From now on those with ration cards will get free treatment of Rs 5 lakh per annum in the hospital,” CM stated.

Furthermore, each of the SHGs members will receive Rs 1000 for training to start their own business. Then each will be given Rs 10,000 each in a private bank account.

Moreover, a total of Rs 3000 crore will be given to Women of SHGs. Loans for microfinance will also be repaid.

1K reward for child marriage informers: Cachar admin

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TheCacharDistrict Administration has announced incentives for informers on child marriage and scholarships for rescued children.

The measures were announced during a programme organised by the district child protection unit, Cachar, in collaboration withState Child Protection Society, Assam, under the aegis of the administration on Friday to mark the 8th annual child protection day.

Cachar deputy commissionerKeerthi Jallistated that those who provide information regarding child-related problems in the district will be given Rs 1,000. She also announced fixed deposits and scholarships for the children, so that they can utilise the amount for further Education after they attain 18 years.

Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty promised to set up a shelter Home for children and announced one-time financial assistance of Rs 20,000 toNibedita Nari Sangstha, an NGO, on the occasion. In addition, he also promised to donate a vehicle for the prevention of human trafficking.

34% decline in maternal deaths in Assam: NHM

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Assam has seen a steep (34% ) decline in maternal deaths compared to last year, while child deaths in the state have gone down by 13%, theAssam National Health Mission(NHM) said.

The number of maternal death cases in 2022-23 (May-February) was 448 against 680 in the corresponding period of 2021-22, showing a decline of 232 deaths. The number of child death cases in 2022-23 (May-February) has been reported as 5,805, while the corresponding figure was 6,721 in 2021-22 (May-February), a decline of 916 deaths or 13.6%.

According to the Registrar General of India’s ‘Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality’ for the period 2018 to 2020 released last year, Assam recorded 195 deaths per lakh live births, though it was an improvement from the previous figure of 215 in the period 2016 to 2018. Nationally, there has been a significant decline in theMMRfrom 130 in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20. In 2005, Assam’s MMR was 480 per one lakh live births.
Assam’s infant mortality rate (IMR) was 36 deaths per 1,000 live births as against the national Average of 28, as per theSample Registration System Statistical Report2020 published last year.

Assam: ’32 of every 100 girls in 20-24 age group were married before 18′

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Assamis reeling under a rise in the number ofchild marriagesdespite aprohibition lawso much so that 32 girls among every 100 in the state in the 20-24 age bracket were under 18 years at the time of their marriages and 12 among every 100 such child brides were either pregnant or have already become mothers, as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2019-21.

According to NFHS-5, West Bengal, Bihar and Tripura top the list of child marriages with more than 40% of Women aged 20-24 years married below 18. Five other states – Jharkhand, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and saw more than 30% child marriages in the said period.

The Percentage of child brides in the same age cohort in the state as recorded in NFHS-4 for 2015-16 was one per cent lower, but the percentage of child brides who were pregnant or mothers was one per cent higher than that recorded in the last survey.

While child marriages are on the rise in Assam, nationally this social menace has reduced from 47 in 2005-06 to 26 in 2015-16, registering a decline of 21% points during the decade. During 2019-21, it declined further by 3% points to reach 23%, against Assam’s 32%.

Percentage of women in the country aged 20 to 24 years, who were married before 18 years of age, was 48 among the Hindus in 2005-06, which was one per cent higher than Muslims. But during 2019-21, the percentage was three notches higher for the Muslims (26) than the Hindus. The percentage for Christians declined from 26 in 2006-06 to 15 in 2019-21.

The Centre, in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha in 2020 said the practice of child marriages is largely due to the prevailing social customs, tradition, illiteracy, POVERTY, low status of women in Society and lack of awareness.

Auction amount of record-breaking tea donated to Assam CM’s Relief FundThe amount of Rs 99,999 fetched by a kilogram of specialty tea last year in Assam, which is the highest auction price fetched by any tea in the country, was donated by the sellers to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund on Friday. The managing director of Manohari Tea Estate, Rajan Lohia, handed over a cheque of that value to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here. Lohia said the Manohari Tea Estate has been donating all amounts collected by its tea sold at any record-breaking auction price over the years to the government’s welfare funds.

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Manohari Gold’, produced by Manohari Tea Estate, had sold for Rs 99,999 at Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) on December 14 last year. This is the highest auction price fetched in tea selling and buying in the country so far, with Sourabh Tea Traders procuring the kilogram of the tea that was put for auction. Manohari Gold Tea had previously sold for Rs 50,000 per kg at the GTAC auction in July 2019, which was the highest auction value at that time. Gold Tea from the same estate was auctioned for Rs 39,001 per kg on July 24, 2018, at the GTAC, which was a record price then.

Over 9,000 Utilisation Certificates of projects not submitted by Assam govt: CAG reportOver 9,000 Utilisation Certificates of various projects and schemes of 52 departments of the Assam government from 2001-02 to 2018-19 have not been submitted, a CAG report said. More than 68 per cent of the 9,379 outstanding UCs are of the last four years since 2015-16, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said in its report on state finances, under the section of ‘Quality of Accounts & Financial Reporting Practices’.

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At least 1,345 UCs amounting to Rs 7,197.84 crore are due for the 2018-19 fiscal, while 24 such documents worth Rs 1,607.23 crore in 2016-17 have not been submitted, according to the report which was tabled in the assembly on Friday. Utilisation Certificates of Rs 3,494.38 crore grants paid up to the financial year 2018-19 are pending from the Health department, followed by the Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes with UCs worth Rs 2,403.51 crore.

Maternal mortality ratio in Assam highest in country

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Assamhas recorded a marginal improvement inMaternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) but continues to be the worst performer in the country.
According to the Registrar General of Indias (RGI) latest ‘Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality for the period 2018 to 2020 released on Tuesday, the state has recorded 195 deaths per lakh live births, which is an improvement from the previous figure of 215 in the period 2016 to 2018.

Kerala has the lowest MMR of 19 per lakh live births. The country’s Average MMR declined from 113 in 2016-18 to 97 in 2018-20, according to the special bulletin.

According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) published earlier this year, 25% of Women aged 18-29 marry before reaching the legal minimum age of marriage, while the Percentage of women marrying before the legal minimum age is 32% in Assam. The prevalence of anaemia among women is 60% or more in eight Indian states and Assam, along with Tripura, comes under this category.
Though institutional delivery, referring to delivery of children in a health facility, is being promoted to reduce maternal mortality, the northeastern states, including Assam, stood below the national average of 86%. Assam had 84% births in health facilities, against almost 100% births in , Goa, Kerala, Lakshadweep andTamil Nadu.

Assam to use drones to keep tabs on Covid-rule violators

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For the first time since the outbreak of Covid-19 inAssam, the will be using drones to keep tabs on those defying guidelines in areas where cases are surging.
Amid fears that the pandemic might last beyond 2021 and the threat of a third wave looming large, chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmaon Sunday asked district authorities and the Police to conduct monitoring through drones to identify places where people are coming out in large numbers, violating Covid restrictions.

In a review meeting, carried out virtually, with authorities of nine districts, Sarma directed them to extensively move around the districts to ensure strict enforcement of Covid protocols and allot sector-wise responsibility to magistrates to monitor violations.

Assam needs to integrate rivers into citys master plan

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Assamneeds to move from making static master plans to strategic master plans for cities considering the rivers or water bodies as focal points in the planning process, director ofthe NationalInstitute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) HiteshVaidyasaid

Speaking at a training programme for urban planners on making river-sensitive master plans, Vaidya said non-strategic master plans have turned the five rivulets in Guwahati into sewage channels. Therefore, there is a need for action-oriented and strategic master plans for the cities so that the rivers can be covered.

It must be mentioned that Guwahati has five important rivulets and all of them are dying due to rapid encroachments and indiscriminate waste disposal. As many as 54 out of the 104 in the state have master plans but all are in the draft stage. Vaidya said, The plans implemented to date remained ineffective for some reasons. The demography as well as Geography have changed over the decades. Encroachment and lack of scientifically separate sewage channels have been stumbling blocks.

Assam body to go for Muslim census

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The Janagosthiya Samannay Parishad, an umbrella body of 21 indigenous Muslim organizations in Assam, will begin acensusto identify the states khilonjiya or indigenous Muslim Population to re-establish theseparate identityof these communities, which has been threatened of late.

Thestate governmenthad announced that it will conduct the census and state budget allocated welfare funds of Rs 100 crore to establish a development corporation for theindigenousMuslims.

The Assam government last year on February 6 announced a meeting with representatives of indigenous Muslim communities Goria, Moria, Ujani, Deshi, Jola, Maimal, Syed, etc. to discuss the implementation of socio-economic census of indigenous Muslims. Awal said there are 40 lakh indigenous Muslims in the state. According to Census 2011, Muslims constitute 34.22% of the 3.12 crore population of Assam.