Assam Cabinet clears 7 Bills ahead of Budget Session, approves 112 system

Guwahati,UPDATED: Jul 5, 2026 23:51 IST

The Assam Cabinet on Sunday approved seven bills to be introduced in the upcoming budget session of the Assembly, including measures on ease of doing business and the setting up of MSME units. It also cleared an integrated emergency response system to be run by the police and approved new dairy infrastructure by AMUL, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The budget session of the state Assembly will begin on Monday. The Cabinet decisions also covered land sale rules near religious and iconic sites, registration of tourism establishments, a new authority for the Guwahati satellite city project, amendments to shop and establishment rules, partial relaxation of austerity measures, changes to minor mineral rules and the formation of a ministerial group for the agar business.

Addressing a press conference after chairing the Cabinet meeting, Sarma said one of the seven bills is the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. It allows the sale of land in the vicinity of religious places and iconic structures only to those who have been living in these areas for the last three generations in Barpeta, Batadrava and Majuli.

"This Bill was approved by the assembly earlier, but when it was sent for Presidential assent, the Centre made a few suggestions to make it stronger. These have been added, and the new amendment Bill will be brought," he said.

The Cabinet also approved the Assam Ease of Doing Business (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to facilitate single-window clearance for setting up different ventures, and the Assam Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Facilitation of Establishment and Operation) Bill, 2026. Sarma said the MSME bill will allow units in non-polluting sectors to be set up without prior government approval for the first three years.

It also cleared the Assam Tourism (Development and Registration) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which deals with the registration of homestays, hotels and similar establishments. Sarma said the colonial-era Sarais Act will be repealed as its provisions have been incorporated into the new bill.

During the meeting, the Cabinet approved the Assam Jan Vishwas Bill, 2026, which relaxes some provisions of town and country planning rules and land reclassification rules, among others. It also cleared the Guwahati Satellite City Development Authority Bill, 2026.

Sarma said the new satellite city bill would end speculation that private investors were being given the project. "Many people were saying that we were planning to give land to Adani and Ambani in the name of developing the satellite city. Now, everyone will understand that it is the government that will develop it," he said. He also said that major investments in the state by corporate groups such as Adani and Ambani would lead to an economic boom.

The council of ministers also approved an integrated emergency response system on dial 112, which will bring police, fire, health and disaster response services onto a unified, 24x7, technology-driven platform. For this, a new emergency response centre will be set up at the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing will be brought in to implement the Assam Police Emergency Management System Project.

"States like Uttar Pradesh and Telangana have been implementing such an integrated helpline service, and we will follow suit now," Sarma said.

The Cabinet partially relaxed earlier austerity measures by withdrawing restrictions on foreign visits by ministers and government employees. "With prior permission from the government, employees can undertake foreign travel for personal reasons. Also, official visits for training and other purposes will be allowed," Sarma said.

It also approved amendments to the Assam Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2013, to address operational gaps, seasonal supply disruptions and weak enforcement. Sarma said all inbound vehicles carrying minor minerals, specifically sand and stone, from neighbouring states will have to pay a charge of Rs 150 per cubic metre and a transit fee of Rs 200 per vehicle.

The Cabinet also cleared the leasing of 33 bighas of land to Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Ltd, or AMUL, for setting up a bulk milk cooler and chilling centre for milk procurement in Biswanath. It approved the Assam Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to include provisions in line with the relevant Central Act.

For streamlining the agar business and ensuring that those involved benefit, a three-member ministerial group has been formed, Sarma said. Overall, the Cabinet cleared a mix of legislative and administrative proposals ahead of the budget session, covering business, land, tourism, urban development, emergency response, mining, dairy infrastructure and government travel rules.

- Ends