Guwahati: The Assam government will create a dedicated Department of Youth Welfare and Empowerment to bring various youth-focused programmes and services under a single administrative framework.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision at a press conference at Lok Sewa Bhawan on Monday, saying the proposed department would focus on the welfare, development and empowerment of the state’s youth.
“There was no department in the Assam government exclusively for the welfare of youth. We have taken a decision to create a new Department of Youth Welfare and Empowerment,” Sarma said.
The department will bring together programmes and services currently managed by different agencies and government departments, including the National Service Scheme (NSS), National Cadet Corps (NCC), Employment Exchanges and youth welfare initiatives under the Education Department and other departments.
The government is targeting September 17 for the formal launch of the department. Sarma said preparatory work, including the establishment of its directorate, was already underway.
“We are hoping to begin this on September 17. The construction, directorate and other activities are already taking place,” he said.
The move is aimed at improving coordination among youth-oriented programmes and creating a single institutional framework for issues related to employment, skill development, leadership and youth engagement.
Sarma also announced Project Sadbhawana, an administrative reform initiative aimed at clearing long-pending government files and improving transparency and accountability.
The programme will run from October 2 to January 31 and use the state’s e-file system to track pending cases and identify officials responsible for their disposal.
Sarma said more than three lakh files were pending across government departments, directorates and Deputy Commissioners’ offices.
He said efforts to clear the backlog began in 2021 but were constrained by the limitations of manual record-keeping.
“Earlier, files were maintained manually and there were limitations. With the e-file system, we can identify and examine each file carefully. There will be more precision, accountability and transparency,” Sarma said.
The government will also create a portal through which citizens can submit requests concerning long-pending cases.
“There will also be a portal where people will be able to make requests regarding their pending year-long cases or issues,” Sarma said.
He noted that some cases, including those involving land records, State Level Departmental Appraisal Committee (SDLAC) matters and amendments to existing rules, would require policy interventions before they could be resolved.
Under Project Sadbhawana, 10 departments have been assigned to each Additional Chief Secretary to identify policy bottlenecks, necessary rule amendments and administrative changes required to dispose of pending cases.
The government also plans to make details of pending files and the officials handling them publicly accessible. Progress in clearing the backlog will be disclosed periodically.