Assam is preparing to introduce a stringent new policy aimed at preventing the misuse of benefits reserved for tea garden communities, after repeated attempts to secure quotas using forged certificates came to light. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government had uncovered multiple irregularities during the scrutiny of medical admission applications, prompting a deeper review of community verification processes.
According to the Chief Minister, discrepancies were particularly visible when comparing applicants from the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, leading the state to maintain separate community lists for the two regions. This enhanced verification mechanism will now be extended to government recruitment to ensure that only legitimate beneficiaries can access reserved quotas.
Sarma emphasised that the state would not tolerate attempts to exploit a system designed to uplift historically marginalised groups, noting that stricter enforcement was essential to safeguard opportunities for “genuine youths of the tea garden communities.” He added that the forthcoming policy aims to ensure rightful access to the three per cent reservation and other welfare measures earmarked for the community.
In a social media post, the Chief Minister said the goal of the new framework is to uphold fairness and integrity in the distribution of benefits, assuring that corrective measures are underway to address long-standing challenges linked to fraudulent certification.
