Assam CM Himanta Sarma disburses Rs 278 crore to 82,219 youth under Mukhyamantri Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan

Guwahati:As part of the month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ being organised to commemorate the completion of 25 years of uninterrupted public service by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, first as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and subsequently as the Prime Minister of the country, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today provided financial assistance to 82,219 aspiring young men and women of the State under the Mukhyamantri Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan (CMAAA).

At an event organised at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Guwahati, total financial assistance of Rs. 278 crore was digitally transferred undcer CM-AAA 1.0 and 2.0. This included the second instalment for 9,578 beneficiaries selected under the first phase of the Abhiyan, and the second component of the first instalment for 72,641 beneficiaries selected under the second phase of the Abhiyan.

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It may be noted that during the first term of the State Government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the CM-AAA was launched on September 23, 2023. Under its first phase, financial assistance was provided to a total of 25,277 selected young men and women.

Each beneficiary with general educational qualifications received Rs. 2 lakhs, while beneficiaries possessing professional degrees were provided financial assistance based on the project reports submitted by them. Subsequently, after assessing the performance of the beneficiaries who received assistance under the first phase, the second instalment was provided to 12,976 beneficiaries on March 11 this year.

Following the completion of the assessment of the remaining 12,301 beneficiaries of the first phase, the second instalment has now been provided to 9,578 beneficiaries based on the outcome of the assessment.

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Meanwhile, under CMAAA 2.0, launched on October 18, 2024, one-time financial assistance was provided to 74,350 aspiring young men and women and 344 OBB teachers, covering a total of 74,694 beneficiaries. Today, under the second phase of the Abhiyan, more than Rs. 182 crores has been disbursed to the selected beneficiaries. Of this, 72,447 beneficiaries with general educational qualifications received the second component of the first instalment at Rs. 25,000 each, while beneficiaries possessing professional degrees received Rs. 50,000 each.

Sarma called upon the youth of Assam to become self-reliant through creativity, technical skills and hard work, while also becoming active partners in the journey towards building an Atmanirbhar Asom. He said that the Mukhyamantri Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan has been launched as part of the Government’s efforts to empower the younger generation and make them self-reliant.

However, he said that the success of the Government’s initiative would ultimately depend on whether the beneficiaries make proper and productive use of the financial assistance and successfully build sustainable livelihoods.

The Chief Minister said that the present State Government was working towards creating an environment conducive to setting up industries and generating employment opportunities in Assam. The youth of Assam, he said, must learn to supply raw materials to the industries being established in the State.

Referring to the PepsiCo plant recently inaugurated at Nalbari, Sarma said that the plant would require up to 70,000 metric tonnes of potatoes annually, which would require approximately 5,000 farmers to meet the demand. If farmers in Assam do not focus on producing the potatoes required by the industry, the State would have to import them from outside, he observed.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that despite substantial demand in Assam’s local market for milk, eggs, rice and other essential commodities, a major share of such products still has to be brought in from outside the State. He stated that against the State’s daily requirement of 20 lakh litres of milk, only around 2 lakh litres are produced in Assam. Similarly, against a daily requirement of approximately 60 lakh eggs, only around 6 lakh eggs are produced within the State.

Assam, he said, cannot remain dependent on other States in this manner indefinitely. If the younger generation becomes involved in such sectors, Assam will be able to move more firmly towards self-reliance, he added. The Chief Minister moreover said that if the younger generation engages in agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and small-scale industries, they would not only become financially self-reliant but would also help reduce Assam’s dependence on other States for various commodities.

Sarma said that farmers would be able to realise greater value from their agricultural produce only through such interventions. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat 2047’, the Chief Minister said that the State Government was also moving forward with the objective of building an Atmanirbhar Asom by 2047, in alignment with this vision.

Sarma said, “We have not come to power merely to become Chief Minister or Ministers. Our goal is to establish Assam as one of the top performing States in the country. The youth of Assam can extend a helping hand in this endeavour. We are always there to support them. Let our younger generation move forward with hard work, sacrifice and a positive mindset.”

The Chief Minister further observed that there has been no precedent of a previous government undertaking programmes of such a large scale primarily for the welfare and empowerment of the youth. He said that, through CMAAA, the State Government has so far been able to extend support towards self-reliance to one lakh young men and women.

He announced that 50,000 more young men and women would be brought under the Abhiyan during the current year, for which the application process would commence shortly. He also informed that the present State Government has set a target of bringing 5 lakh young men and women of the State under the Mukhyamantri Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan.

The Chief Minister also formally announced the commencement of the functioning of the Youth Welfare and Empowerment Department, which has been constituted to implement various welfare-oriented schemes and initiatives for the youth of Assam. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister has announced the creation of this new department during his Independence Day address this year.