The Assam cabinet on November 4 approved the Industrial Relation Rules, 2021 aiming at safeguarding the rights of employers and employees, a minister said.

The rules have been framed with a view to amalgamate, simplify and rationalise provisions of three central labour codes relating to industrial relations, Health and Family Welfare Minister Keshab Mahanta told reporters.

A scheme for providing ration to migrant workers, who faced hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic, got the government’s go-ahead, he said.

“The Assam Migrant Workers’ Food Security Scheme was approved to provide relief in the form of dry ration to them,” Mahanta said after the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Based on data of migrant workers on e-SHRAM portal and other available resources, district administrations will distribute ration to them, he said.

The cabinet also authorised the deputy commissioner of Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup (Rural) to grant permission for transfer of land in protected areas or blocks without prior approval of the government, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan said.

“In the greater interest of public and for expeditious disposal of proposals seeking permission for transfer of land in the protected belts and blocks of Kamrup (M) and Kamrup district, the provision of para 17.5 of Land Policy, 2019 will be deleted,” he said.

According to the provision, the revenue department or the deputy commissioner concerned allot land to indigenous landless people after they apply for it.

“But after three years of continuous possession of the land, the allottees are required to apply for the ‘patta’ (land right) again,” he said.

The cabinet also decided to “allow conversion of allotment certificate to periodic ‘patta’ in rural areas of Assam within three years of allotment”, Mr. Mohan said.

The state government has launched a portal, ‘Mission Basundhara’, where conversion of allotment certificate to periodic ‘patta’ has also been included as a service.

The cabinet also decided that reserved seats for students belonging to the tea garden community in Brahmaputra and Barak valleys would be proportionately divided between the two areas in the medical and dental colleges of the state, the health minister said.

Of the 24 medical seats reserved for the community, 18 will be for students from the Brahmaputra valley and six from the other, he said.

Two reserve seats in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery course will be for tea community students from the Brahmaputra valley and one from the Barak valley.

The cabinet gave its nod to a proposal that candidates from economically weaker sections of the society will be allowed to submit their low family income certificates at any time till the first round of counselling for MBBS and BDS courses, Mr. Mahanta said.

It also approved one-time financial assistance of ₹15,000 to priests and Namghorias (priests in Vaishnav prayer halls).

Detailed guidelines with eligibility conditions and procedures for applying for the scheme will be advertised in the local dailies, the minister added.