Guwahati, Assam: Minister Kaushik Rai, the MLA from Lakhipur, will mark his one-year anniversary as a Minister in the Assam Cabinet tomorrow, December 7, 2025. Since being inducted by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on December 7, 2024, Minister Rai has focused heavily on bureaucratic transparency and enhancing regional development.
Minister Rai currently holds charge of three critical departments:
- Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs
- Mines and Minerals
- Barak Valley Development Department
Transforming the Public Distribution System (PDS)
Minister Rai’s tenure in the Food, Public Distribution, and Consumer Affairs Department has been defined by a decisive push for transparency and equitable access for beneficiaries.
- Ration Reforms: A key achievement was the rollout of a scheme providing subsidized essential commodities—including masoor dal, sugar, and salt—to ration cardholders, alongside free rice.
- Anti-Leakage Measures: The Minister has consistently championed the implementation of mandatory biometric authentication via e-POS devices at Fair Price Shops (FPS) across the state, aiming to eliminate leakage and ensure essential goods reach only the rightful beneficiaries. He has stressed that this approach upholds the “dignity of every citizen.”
Championing Barak Valley Development
As the Minister for the dedicated Barak Valley Development Department, Rai has been instrumental in voicing and securing transformative projects for Southern Assam, marking a period of enhanced focus on the region.
- Infrastructure: He has actively overseen and highlighted major infrastructure milestones in the region, including the completion of the Nandachand Bridge and Shilghat Bridge, and has strongly backed ambitious projects like the Barapani-Panchgram Expressway, aimed at cutting travel time between Guwahati and Silchar.
- Administrative Efficiency: Rai has also prioritized improving local governance, celebrating the establishment of a Law College and the upcoming construction of a Mini Secretariat in Srikona to streamline administrative services.
Minister Rai, who is serving his first term as an MLA, has consistently reiterated his commitment to the CM’s vision of a developed Assam, focusing on robust governance and visible transformation at the grassroots level.
