Will go beyond Biplab Sarma panel’s recommendation: Himanta on Assam Accord implementation
Guwahati, Sept 1: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Sunday that his government is planning to introduce a new bill aimed at protecting the land of the indigenous people of the state, which will go beyond the recommendations made by the Biplab Kumar Sarma Committee.
The 14-member committee, headed by the High Court judge Biplab Kumar Sarma was set up in 2020 following widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 to study the implementation of clause 6 of the Assam Accord to grant constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to the indigenous communities.
The Committee submitted its report on February 25, 2021, to then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal with a special recommendation for reserving assembly and parliamentary seats for indigenous people.
Despite the state government’s lack of action on implementing the Biplab Sarma Committee’s recommendations, the Chief Minister said the government has chosen to go further in protecting the land rights of indigenous people.
“We went far beyond the recommendations of the Biplab Sarma committee on the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord to protect the land rights of indigenous people. We are bringing a more stringent law in the coming session of the state assembly to protect the land of Assamese people,” Sarma said.
Sarma claimed the Assam Legislative Assembly’s role in passing what he described as historic legislation. He referred to the recent passage of two laws aimed at abolishing certain Muslim marriage and divorce practices, marking a significant shift in the state’s legal landscape.
Sarma also announced that in the upcoming session, the government plans to introduce and pass additional laws designed to protect the land interests of Schedule Caste (SC) and scheduled Tribes (ST) communities and to combat what he termed “Love Jihad.”
He further indicated that the government is preparing to introduce even stricter laws shortly addressing social and cultural issues in Assam.
“A law for love jihad will come. Another bill restricting land transfer to non-tribals in the undivided Goalpara district is also coming up. We will restrict transfer of tribal land out of the community, whatever land is left with,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister also said the Central government has released Aadhaar to 9.62 lakh people, whose Aadhaar was blocked in 2019. They will now collect their Aadhaar in October or even earlier.
The government will also try to send the compensation to the flood-affected people within the next one week to 10 days, he said.
The Chief Minister further said that 24,000 teachers who have been working in Sarba Siksha Abhijan (SSA) since 2011 will be brought under the ambit of the state education department. They will be given an appointment letter for a function to be held at the Veterinary field in Khanapara on Monday.
“On the 2nd of this month, about 24,000 teachers whom we consider eligible will be brought under the coverage of the government, i.e., they will now become government teachers.
NPS will be provided and is someone in the family dies the family will get a full salary and a pension will be provided. They will find a new security in life,” he added.
