Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday expressed concern over the decline in Hindu population and rise in Muslim population, affecting the demography of the state.
In his Independence Day speech, Sarma said: “Hindu population has dropped to 57 per cent while Muslim population has risen to 41 per cent. This is a deep concern for us. The state government has been giving priority to maintaining the demographic balance in Assam and we are working towards safeguarding the rights of indigenous people.”
He said that in certain places like the undivided Goalpara district, Barpeta and some other places, the lands of indigenous people can not be bought by people belonging to other religions.
“The interfaith land transfer will be stopped in such places to safeguard the indigenous culture. The state government will bring a new act in this regard in the upcoming Assembly session,” Sarma said.
He also gave an overview of a number of forthcoming projects that will enhance the governance and infrastructure of the state. To ensure that Guwahati's land stays in the hands of indigenous people and to lessen land-related conflicts, he declared the commencement of Mission Basundhara 3.0 on October 2.
According to Sarma, 74 new districts or subdivisions will be created, and Chiknajhar in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) will become the eighth national park in Assam.
Additionally, he disclosed plans for a State Domicile Policy that will give preference to native applicants for positions in the government.
The Chief Minister announced that the Nijut Moina Scheme to support the education of female students in the state, which will be started on October 10, and that 20 lakh people in Assam will receive ration cards or family IDs from the state government.
Sarma brought up the issues of flash floods brought on by the disposal of plastic waste in drains, as well as the effect hill mining in Meghalaya has on Guwahati's water woes.
Noting that 20 per cent of waterlogging in urban areas may be prevented by avoiding the construction of dwellings on drains and prohibiting the discharge of plastic garbage in them, the Chief Minister asked citizens to raise awareness and take action to eliminate such behaviours.
De-dollarisation: President Trump threatens BRICS with 100 pc tariffs
Expressing his stance against de-dollarisation vehemently on Friday, Donald Trump warned BRICS nations and threatened them with 100 per cent tariffs on their exports if they try to replace the US dollar as the main currency in global trade.
'Deeply saddened, we stand in solidarity with US', PM Modi expresses grief on Washington DC plane collision
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Washington DC midair plane-helicopter collision and said that India stands in solidarity with the people of the US.
3 member judicial panel to reach Maha Kumbh today to probe reason behind stampede
Members of the Judicial Enquiry Commission that has been set up to go into the reasons behind the tragic stampede at the ongoing Maha Kumbh that resulted in 30 deaths and injuries to 60 people on Wednesday, will reach Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj at around 1 pm on Friday.
President Murmu to address joint session of Parliament today
The President will address the joint sitting at 11 a.m. After her address, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha separately.
UP govt brings fresh measures after stampede deaths in Mahakumbh Mela
A day after at least 30 people were killed in a predawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh, the Uttar Pradesh government has enforced stricter measures for better crowd management and safety of devotees as it restricted vehicular movement, cancelled VIP passes, increased security deployment, and ended needless restrictions on the pontoon bridges that connect the mela city.
Waqf Amendment Act among 16 Bills to be tabled in Budget Session from today
Sixteen Bills, including the Finance Bill 2025, amendments to the Waqf and Banking Regulations Act, and the merging of the Indian Railways and Indian Railways Board Acts, will be tabled in Parliament's Budget session, which begins on Friday with the Economic Survey 2024/25.
Economic Survey to be presented by Finance Minister Sitharaman in Parliament today
The Economic Survey, a pre-budget document detailing the state of the economy over the last fiscal year, will be presented in Parliament at 12 p.m. on Friday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Israel PM Netanyahu welcomes home released hostages
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a statement welcoming home the three Israelis who were released on Thursday from captivity in Gaza -- Agam Berger, Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses.