Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday flagged off buses under the Uberization scheme of the Transport Department of the state.
Under this scheme the state government has decided to add 339 buses in the first phase which would ply in different routes and will continue to sanction more buses in the subsequent financial years till Government of Assam achieves the goal where the public transport in Assam is at par with the rest of the country.
The scheme implemented by Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) would share 25 percent of the total cost of the bus and 65 percent would be shared by SBI.
Out of the 25 percent, state government would provide subsidy of 10 percent and 15 percent would be in the form of interest free loan payable in 5-year period.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisaged ‘transformation through transportation’ in the country and the state government has been taking rapid strides towards achieving the target of smooth connectivity across the state.
This scheme will generate a lot of employment opportunities for the unemployed youths in the state and also remove communication bottlenecks, he added.
Saying that the beneficiaries must work hard and put in their honest and dedicated efforts for making this scheme a success, Sonowal said failure of such schemes result in loss of faith by young generation in entrepreneurship while also causing damages to public property like buses and other infrastructures.
He also thanked SBI for coming forward and helping the youth of the state in their quest for a successful life.
State Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, in his speech, said today is a historic day for the state as the Chief Minister flagged off buses under Uberization scheme for improving road communication in the state and also inaugurated the center for Perishable Goods at LGBI airport for enabling state farmers to find wider market opportunities for their products.
Under initiatives like Act East Policy and skill development mission of Prime Minister Modi, Assam Government is taking rapid strides to develop the state at a fast pace and holistic development of the state would be achieved through dedicated efforts, he added.
Media Adviser to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami, Chairman of ASTC Ashok Bhattarai, Vice-Chairman Haricharan Bodo, Principal Secretary of Transport Department K.K. Dwivedi, ASTC MD Anand Prakash Tiwari were also present in the programme among others.
Earlier today, the Chief Minister launched the Center for Perishable Cargo at LGBI Airport in the city.
The AIDC has set up a Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC) at LGBI Airport, Guwahati. The project is aimed to provide state-of-the-art infrastructures for air cargo handling facilities, cold storages and to boost export of horticulture products from North Eastern Region.
The total land area is 1 acre which is lease transferred from Airports Authority of India.
Total Project Cost is Rs. 1984.32 Lacs with funding from Govt. of India under ASIDE Scheme of Rs. 1934.32 Lacs and State Govt. share of Rs. 50.00 Lacs. With agency inputs
