Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet has cleared a series of decisions aimed at strengthening environmental regulation, promoting sports, expanding opportunities for ex-servicemen and improving the functioning of government departments.
The Cabinet approved the Assam Green Cess Policy, 2026, paving the way for a cess on activities and sectors considered environmentally sensitive. The levy is expected to cover stone-crushing units, brick kilns, imported timber, industries identified as polluting by the Pollution Control Board, transfer of ownership of pre-owned vehicles and commercial extraction of groundwater.
The revenue generated through the Green Cess is proposed to be utilised for environmental and infrastructure-related initiatives, including embankment works and solar power projects.
The Cabinet also finalised the schedule for Khel Maharan 3.0, which will begin on November 1, 2026, and continue until January 23, 2027. Alongside the main sporting programme, the government will conduct a separate initiative aimed at identifying and nurturing sporting talent among children below 12 years of age.
In another decision, the government increased the upper age limit for ex-servicemen from Assam applying for Grade III and Grade IV state government jobs from 42 years to 45 years. Ex-servicemen are also covered under the existing two per cent reservation in these posts.
The Cabinet further approved measures to accelerate employee promotions. The qualifying service period for promotion of eligible Computer Operators to Junior Administrative Assistant in the Assam Secretariat has been reduced from four years to three years. The move is also intended to facilitate the creation of vacancies and support the state’s target of generating two lakh government jobs over the next five years.
For school students, the Cabinet approved the distribution of free bicycles to Class IX students under the government’s student welfare measures.
The meeting also cleared a restructuring plan for the Commissionerate of Taxes, Assam. The reorganisation will create 157 new statutory officer posts and four Income Tax Officer posts, while the department will be reorganised into 11 functional zones. The restructuring will also introduce GST-aligned nomenclature for posts and is aimed at making tax administration more efficient and better suited to the state’s growing economic activity.
The Cabinet decisions reflect the Assam government’s focus on environmental management, grassroots sports development, employee welfare, education support and administrative modernisation.
