Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday provided Rs 278 crore in financial assistance to 82,219 young men and women under the Mukhyamantri Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan (CMAAA). The assistance was distributed at an event held at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Guwahati as part of the month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’.
The financial support aims to help young people start businesses, develop livelihoods and move towards self-reliance. The money was transferred digitally under CMAAA 1.0 and CMAAA 2.0.
Under the first phase of CMAAA 1.0, 25,277 young beneficiaries were selected. Those with general educational qualifications received financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh, while beneficiaries with professional degrees received support based on their submitted project reports.
After assessing the performance of beneficiaries who received assistance in the first phase, the government had provided a second instalment to 12,976 beneficiaries on March 11. Following the assessment of the remaining beneficiaries, 9,578 people received their second instalment.
Meanwhile, CMAAA 2.0, launched on October 18, 2024, provided one-time assistance to 74,350 aspiring young people and 344 OBB teachers, covering 74,694 beneficiaries. Under its second phase, more than Rs 182 crore was disbursed. Of this, 72,447 beneficiaries with general educational qualifications received Rs 25,000 each, while those with professional degrees received Rs 50,000 each.
Sarma urged Assam’s youth to focus on creativity, technical skills, agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and small-scale industries. He said these sectors could help create sustainable livelihoods and reduce Assam’s dependence on other states for essential commodities.
Referring to the newly inaugurated PepsiCo plant in Nalbari, the Chief Minister said the plant could require up to 70,000 metric tonnes of potatoes annually, creating opportunities for around 5,000 farmers.
“We have not come to power merely to become Chief Minister or Ministers. Our goal is to establish Assam as one of the top performing States in the country,” Sarma said.He also announced that 50,000 more young people would be brought under CMAAA during the current year, with applications to begin shortly. The government has set a target of supporting 5 lakh young men and women through the scheme.
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