Guwahati: To mark respect for the Ram temple consecration, the Assam government has announced that January 22 will be observed as a “dry day” due to the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here on Sunday, Tourism Minister of Assam Jayanta Malla Baruah said, “To commemorate the inauguration of Ram temple, the Assam government has decided to declare January 22 as a dry day.”
Sarma tweeted in X (formerly Twitter), “Decisions we took in today’s meeting of the #AssamCabinet- Dry Day on 22.01.2024 on the occasion of Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ram Lalla Virajman -Approval to Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan- a new scheme to financially support rural women entrepreneurs.”
Along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other various chief ministers from NDA-ruled states, more than 6,000 people are scheduled to attend the ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.
In another development, the cabinet decided to extend the coverage of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to include government employees and pensioners with an annual income of less than Rs. 4 lakh.
These individuals will also receive health insurance of Rs. 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
“Earlier, they were not eligible as they were government employees. They will also get health insurance of Rs. 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme,” the Baruah added.