Assam to Take ₹2,750 Crore World Bank Loan to Boost Education: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Dibrugarh: The Assam government will take a ₹2,750 crore loan from the World Bank to support key initiatives in the state’s education sector, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference following a cabinet meeting, Sarma said the loan will be repaid jointly by the Centre and the state government, with the Centre covering 90% of the amount and Assam taking care of the remaining ₹275 crore.

The funds will be used to improve the quality of education, including training mathematics and science teachers, offering management training to school headmasters, strengthening science and technology infrastructure, and addressing student dropout rates.

As part of the plan, ₹3–5 crore will be allocated to rebuild 400 schools across the state, while ₹25 lakh will be used to upgrade each of the 1,733 Anganwadi centres, Sarma said.

### Policing, Infrastructure, and New Districts

The cabinet also approved a ₹150 crore financial sanction under the Mission for Overall Improvement of Thanas for Responsive Image scheme. In its first phase, 73 police stations have already been upgraded, while 46 more are being worked on in the second phase. So far, 31 police stations and one cyber police station have been completed. The remaining are under construction.

The Chief Minister noted that Assam Police has seen infrastructure investments worth ₹1,500 crore so far.

Starting August 12, ten new co-districts will become operational in Assam. The cabinet has approved the creation of 10 posts for Superintendents of Police to oversee these districts.

### New Initiatives for Youth, Innovation, and Welfare

The cabinet also cleared a new initiative aimed at enhancing overseas employment prospects for Assamese youth. The **Chief Minister’s Foreign Language Initiative for Global Human Talent** will offer structured foreign language training. Initially, the scheme will focus on Japanese language training, with successful applicants receiving a subsidy of ₹1.5 lakh. Graduates of the program will be offered short-term, paid work opportunities in Japan.

In another move, the government approved support for apartment buildings using funds from MLALADS and a united fund, provided their housing societies meet specific criteria. This aims to ensure that residents in such complexes have access to government welfare schemes.

To boost innovation and entrepreneurship, the state will establish the **Assam Innovation and Startup Foundation**, a Section 8 company under the Department of Innovation, Incubation and Startups.

Additionally, Sarma announced that starting in August, arms licences will be available through a new online portal. “We are streamlining the process to make it easier for members of the indigenous community to obtain arms licenses, especially in vulnerable areas,” he said.