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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 26 launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing the party of being “anti-women” after Congress legislators briefly staged a walkout during a discussion on a government resolution supporting 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies. The resolution, introduced in the Assembly by Women and Child Welfare Minister Ajanta Neog, urged the immediate implementation of one-third reservation for women in Parliament and all state legislative assemblies following the completion of the delimitation exercise. Tensions briefly escalated in the Assembly after BJP MLA Bhuban Pegu made remarks targeting…

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the state has achieved a “historic” public health milestone as Assam’s Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) dropped to 84, going below the national average of 88 for the first time. Describing the achievement as one of the most emotional moments of his public life, Sarma recalled that when he took charge of the Health Department in 2006, Assam’s MMR stood at 480, making the present milestone appear almost impossible at the time. The chief minister credited doctors, nurses, ASHA workers, health officials and frontline healthcare personnel across the state for the achievement,…

A fast-track court on Tuesday formally framed charges against all seven accused in the high-profile Zubeen Garg death case, with four of them charged with murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The court, presided over by Sharmila Bhuyan, framed charges against all accused named in the chargesheet. Speaking to reporters, special public prosecutor Ziaul Kamar said the court had framed charges against all accused persons in the case. According to the prosecution, murder charges under BNS Sections 103 (murder), 3 (common intention) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) were framed against Shyamkanu Mahanta, Garg’s manager Siddharth Sharma, bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami…

Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday reiterated the Assam government’s commitment to provide government jobs to two lakh youths, while also stressing the need to build a strong culture of entrepreneurship and expand economic opportunities for women across the state. Speaking during the third day of the Assam Assembly session on May 26, the chief minister said the employment promise made during the elections remained a key responsibility of his government and a commitment he personally continued to remember. “People today may or may not remind me of it, but at this sacred moment of taking responsibility as Chief Minister, I…

Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the Assam government aims to raise the daily wages of tea garden workers to Rs 450 during its tenure, while stressing that the target would depend on the growth and strengthening of the state’s tea industry.Speaking during the third day of the Assam Assembly session on May 26, the chief minister said the government had already increased tea garden workers’ wages to nearly Rs 300 and now wanted to take the next step through broader economic reforms and industry expansion.“For the first time, we have raised the wages of tea garden workers to nearly…