Our endeavour to create a favourable atmosphere for young girls in the State has started bearing fruit. Despite opposition from many quarters, we persisted with the idea that provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 and the Prevention of Child Marriages Act (PCMA), 2006 need to be better implemented to prevent child marriage in Assam. The data on this provided by the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) would make no one happy. Yet, there was a degree of resistance by many, something that I have failed to fathom.
However, as I write this, I am coming to know from responsible individuals and organisations that several families are cancelling scheduled weddings of their teenage sons and daughters out of respect for the sensitisation that our Government has launched all over the State. More so, we are supplementing the efforts of the police with decisive & strategic interventions by DCs. We are identifying vulnerable pockets, which is then followed by holding of Bal Panchayat to sensitise & make people aware of the ramifications of child marriage.
While we are keen to carry on with these awareness exercise on child marriage as long as it takes, I want to reiterate that we will brook no tolerance if the directives on child marriage is violated. The entire exercise has been planned with the welfare objective in mind, and I urge my fellow citizens not to read it with a political or religious prism.
While we are keen to carry on with these awareness exercise on child marriage as long as it takes, I want to reiterate that we will brook no tolerance if the directives on child marriage is violated. The entire exercise has been planned with the welfare objective in mind, and I urge my fellow citizens not to read it with a political or religious prism.
During my discussion with DCs and SPs of districts, we have zeroed in on the idea of building a robust ecosystem to stop this evil by 2026. I urge the people of the State to support us in the best way they can. Child marriage is a social scourge, and we are committed to ensure that this evil practice is nipped. Period.
The Union Budget presented last month has once again demonstrated the continued support that Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi and his Government have for Assam and the North East. Going into specifics is not desirable here. Enough to state that the 7 Saptarishi priorities of the Union Budget will usher in rapid growth in the 8 Astha–Lakshmi States of the North East. For me, it is a visionary Union Budget that will accelerate Bharat’s journey to become a developed nation. Let us keep in mind that we cannot be parochial on these allocations. So, unless the North East develops, Assam’s development alone cannot give us the pride that we want to experience. In the same vein, unless the country develops, the region’s development alone will rob us of the sheen that we as citizens of this great country want to have.
Our quest for generating 1 lakh Government jobs has now entered a decisive phase. This was not merely an electoral promise. The promise had an underlying security of financial growth and increased revenue collection which we had foreseen if voted to power. This increase in revenue, that we have been able to generate, has allowed us the leeway to go ahead with our idea. I am very hopeful that come May, we will be able to announce thousands of vacancies in the Government for talents required to serve the State in various capacities. I believe that once the intent is there, one can achieve what one has set out to do.
Come April 14, Assam will have a unique record of 11,140 Bihu dancers grooving to tal and dhol at one venue. The idea is to welcome the Prime Minister who, I feel, deserves such a rousing welcome for doing what he has for the North East of India, especially Assam. This mega programme will not only catapult Assam onto the global stage, if at all it is still required, but also give a special flight to one of our favourite dance forms.
During February, Hollywood acting icon Leonardo Di Caprio took note of our special drive in rhino conservation and efforts to save them from the menace of poaching by posting on social media that it was an example worth noticing. He may not know but I want to impress on the fact that preserving wildlife is our second nature. It is integral to our cultural identity. My Government will take this as yet another achievement and rededicate itself to persevering and safeguarding our rich cultural heritage. On behalf of the people of Assam, I have taken the opportunity of inviting him to see in person what we have done for our beloved unicorn.
We are not only succeeding on nature and cultural fronts but also agriculture. We recently crossed the mark of 2 lakh MT paddy procurement at MSP. The initiative has seen some 22,843 farmers joining us in the process across 195 procurement centres in the State. At this pace, I am hopeful that we will reach the 10 Lakh MT target by September 30, 2023. This is a solid boost to our efforts towards doubling farmers’ income, something that we have been working towards so sincerely.
