Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma rolled out three major welfare packages on September 1. These initiatives target flood relief, graduate support, and foreign language training. The state aims to bolster human capital while addressing the economic damage left by recent floods.
Flood victims in Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat districts get cash aid. The government will transfer Rs 15,000 to each affected household via Direct Benefit Transfer. Official figures show 16,746 families in those four districts will receive a total of Rs 25.12 crore. Across the state, authorities have sanctioned Rs 175.64 crore for 1,17,095 households. An additional 12,259 families will also receive the Rs 15,000 relief payment.
Fresh graduates get a boost through the Mukhyamantri Jibon Prerana Asoni. The program supports 48,188 eligible candidates from government and public institutions. Students receive Rs 2,500 per month for nine months to one year with a budget of Rs 118.6 crore.
The Chief Minister’s Foreign Language Initiative for Global Human Talent, known as CM-FLIGHT, focuses on employment. Candidates receive Rs 1 lakh in three installments for training. Those who land a job get an extra Rs 50,000 as post-placement assistance. The state has already sanctioned Rs 2.8 crore. Enrollment numbers are growing, with 148 candidates signed up during 2023-26 and 452 new admissions recorded for 2026-27. Reflecting on these programs, the Chief Minister stated, "The initiatives were presented as part of the Assam government's broader efforts towards relief assistance, skill development, employment support and human capital development."
Updated at 1st September 2026 at 10:01pm
While the government pushes its new relief rollout, Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi has declared war on the existing disaster relief manual. Gogoi argues current compensation rates for death, injury, property loss, and damaged agricultural land are insulting compared to the scale of the damage. He is demanding the government increase the payout to Rs 10 lakh for every affected family.
Gogoi plans to kick off a new wave of protests starting September 6 in Nazira. His organization intends to canvass the state until mid-September, culminating in a mass demonstration at the Chief Minister's office on September 16. He claimed his attempts to reach a deal with the government failed, noting that Chief Minister Sarma dismissed his concerns over uninsured business losses as a criminal issue.
The legislator is also taking aim at the center and the state's political leadership. He is pushing for the administration to officially designate the flooding as a national disaster to unlock federal funds. Furthermore, he challenged Gaurav Gogoi and Himanta Biswa Sarma to a three-way electoral showdown in Sivasagar, while signaling that his party is prepping for a long-term play in the 2031 assembly elections.
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