JOIN US229 govt officials held for corruption since 2016, says Assam Governor in Republic Day speech
The Assam government on Tuesday said that 229 government officials has been arrested on corruption charges since 2016 as part of its campaign to make the state free of corruption.
"The government is taking exemplary measures for fulfilling the promise of a corruption-free Assam and came down heavily on all syndicates and illegal activities. The government introduced e-tendering for contracts, digital mode of receipt and payment in all transactions, which has been successful in bringing transparency in the administration," Governo Jagdish Mukhi said in his Republic Day speech.
Mukhi said that the state government had unearthed several scams in welfare schemes implemented prior to 2016, when it came to power, and detected and deleted around 14 lakh bogus beneficiaries in MGNREGA, National Old Age Pension Scheme, Supplementary Nutritional Programme of Social Welfare department, food and civil supplies department.
"My government has been taking strictest action against such government servants who are found indulging in corrupt practices. It has so far arrested 229 government officers under corruption-related cases. As a result of sincere efforts of the government, transparency has come back to the state machinery and people have regained their faith in the administration," he said.
The governor said that the security scenario improved significantly with all major militant groups either laying down arms or joining the dialogue process.
Regarding border fencing, the governor said that the 48.11-km stretch of the riverine border with Bangladesh along Dhubri sector has been sealed using the Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System.
In a bid to make the environment clean and green, Mukhi said over 8.50 crore saplings, covering an area of 12,500 hectares, have been planted since 2016.
"Over 3,000 hectares of forest area of the Kaziranga National Park have been freed from illegal encroachments and the park area was further extended," he said.
Reagarding the government's promise to protect the identity of the indigenous communities, a new land policy was enacted in order to safeguard the interests of the indigenous people and to allot land to the indigenous landless people.
"The government, since its formation in May 2016 till December 2020, provided land pattas (land document) to more than 2.28 lakh local landless families," he said.
He said the government had also set up new autonomous councils for several ethnic communities and enhanced financial assistance in order to empower them.