Assam Cabinet clears land allotment for IIM Guwahati, Azim Premji University

The Assam Cabinet on Tuesday, August 18 approved a series of decisions focused on expanding education infrastructure, simplifying the registration of cooperative societies and promoting hydrocarbon exploration in the state.

Among the key decisions was the allotment of land for the permanent campuses of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Guwahati and Azim Premji University. The Cabinet also approved the Assam Hydrocarbon Exploration, Production and Upstream Ecosystem Development Policy, 2026.

The Cabinet approved the allotment of 576 bighas of land at Palashbari-Borduar Mauza for the establishment of an IIM campus. In a separate decision, 200 bighas of land at Palashbari-Borduar was approved for the establishment of Azim Premji University.

Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the decisions would contribute to the development of Assam as an education hub.

The Cabinet also approved a fully online and paperless system for the registration of cooperative societies in the state.

Under the new system, dairy cooperative societies will be registered within 24 hours, while other cooperative societies will be automatically registered within 30 days.

Sarma said the existing registration process involved multiple stages, including discussions, enquiries and extensive paperwork, making it time-consuming and complicated.

“We have now decided to introduce a fully online and paperless system for the registration of cooperative societies in the state,” Sarma said.

He said the cooperative law had been amended through a notification to facilitate implementation of the new registration mechanism.

According to the Chief Minister, the reform is aimed at making the registration process faster, simpler and more transparent, while encouraging more people to establish cooperative societies, particularly in the dairy sector.

The move is also expected to improve ease of doing business and streamline the registration and management of milk cooperative societies across Assam.

The Cabinet's approval of the Assam Hydrocarbon Exploration, Production and Upstream Ecosystem Development Policy, 2026 is aimed at providing a policy framework for hydrocarbon exploration and production and developing the upstream ecosystem in the state.