Assam Cabinet approves 15 new councils to review government welfare schemes

The Assam Cabinet on Tuesday, November 3 approved the formation of 15 new councils to monitor the implementation of government welfare schemes, assess their impact on beneficiaries and recommend changes based on public feedback.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the proposed councils would evaluate the functioning of various welfare initiatives and help the government identify areas requiring improvement.

Among the councils to be constituted are the Assam Rural Livelihood Council, Health and Wellness Council, Education Entitlement Council, Assam Social Security Council and Public Housing Council.

Sarma said the councils would review existing schemes, including Orunodoi, Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat, Mukhya Mantri Ayushman Assam, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and initiatives related to education and healthcare in tea garden areas.

Explaining their proposed role, the Chief Minister said the councils would not function as independent authorities but would engage directly with beneficiaries and members of the public to gather feedback on the delivery and effectiveness of government schemes.

The feedback collected by the councils would be submitted to the state government in the form of recommendations. The government would subsequently consider changes in the implementation of the schemes based on these assessments.

Each council will comprise nine members, including a Cabinet minister as its chairperson, a vice-chairperson and seven other members.

The initiative is aimed at creating a feedback-based mechanism to assess the reach and effectiveness of welfare programmes and improve their implementation across Assam.