Cabinet nod for Panel to implement Assam Accord

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the setting up of a high-level committee for implementing the assurance given in the Assam Accord.

The decision to set up the Committee to implement the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and measures envisaged in the Memorandum of Settlement 2003 and other issues related to Bodo community was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Clause 6 of the Assam Accord envisaged that appropriate constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, should be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

"The Terms of Reference and the composition of the committee will be known within 2-3 days," Home Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters.

When asked who will head the panel, he said, it need not be an official but an eminent person residing in Assam. "There is the intelligentsia there," he said.

The Committee will hold discussions with all stakeholders and assess the required quantum of reservation of seats in the state Assembly and local bodies for Assamese people.

It will also assess the requirement of measures to be taken to protect Assamese and other indigenous languages of Assam, quantum of reservation in employment under the state government and other measures to protect, preserve and promote the cultural identity of Assamese people.

"It is expected that the setting up of the Committee will pave the way for the implementation of the Assam Accord in letter and spirit and will help fulfil the long-standing expectations of the Assamese people," Singh said.

In other decisions, the Cabinet also approved a number of measures to fulfil the outstanding issues related to the Bodo community. The Bodo Accord was signed in 2003 which resulted in the establishment of a Bodoland Territorial Council under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

The Cabinet cleared the proposal for setting up a Bodo Museum-cum language and cultural study centre, modernization of existing All India Radio Station and Doordarshan Kendra at Kokrajhar and naming a super-fast train passing through BTAD as ARONAI (Lifeline) Express, Singh said.

The state government will also take necessary measures related to appropriate land policy and land laws, besides setting up of Institutions for Research and Documentation of Customs, Traditions and Languages of the indigenous communities, he said.