Guwahati, June 16: The Assam government has increased the reservation quota for OBC (other backward classes) students in the state's government medical colleges from existing 15 per cent to 26 per cent.

An official source said the proposal to increase the reservation for OBC students in the medical colleges was cleared by the state cabinet in a meeting chaired by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Dispur this evening.

The cabinet gave its nod to increase the seats reserved for students from tea tribe community in state medical colleges from eight to 18 and for students from Moran and Muttock communities from two to three seats.

Even after this increase, the total reservation for SC/ST and OBC or special categories will not exceed 50 per cent, the ceiling fixed by the Supreme Court, the source said.

The source said the cabinet also decided to convert Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok in the city into a state guesthouse.

The Centre had recently transferred the three-star hotel, a joint venture between India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and the Assam government, to the state government as a part of the disinvestment process of ITDC hotels in the country.

The source said the cabinet decided to give 1,300 bighas of land lying with the defunct or closed state PSUs to the industry department, which will add it to the land bank for setting up new industries.