BJP-led Assam government's rain of schemes to pacify CAA anger

From new autonomous councils to land patta (land document) to over 60,000 families, cash transfer, scooty for girl students and fast recruitment in government posts, BJP-led government in Assam is hurrying to reach out to the state's indigenous communities ahead of Assembly elections slated early next year.

Although most of these schemes were announced in the state budget, efforts to implement them ahead of elections made many believe that BJP was trying to appease the state's indigenous communities in order to counter the anger it was facing over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) ahead of polls.

As the state witnessed violent protests against the CAA in December, the BJP-led government in March announced to set up three autonomous councils for Moran, Matak and Koch Rajbongshi communities. Bills for setting up of the three councils were passed on September 4, amid plan by All Assam Students' Union and Ason Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad to launch a new regional party to defeat BJP in the elections with the CAA as the main poll plank.

Sources said the indigenous communities voted for BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and 2016 Assembly elections as it promised to solve the foreigners issue and protect their identity against the "demographic threat" from the "illegal migrants." But the passage of the CAA in December despite protests in most parts of the state left such voters angry against BJP.

Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently announced that cash of Rs. 830 would be transferred to bank accounts of 17 lakh financially weaker families every month under a scheme named Orunodoi. He said 15,000 families comprising about 70,000 voters would be covered under this scheme in constituencies having two lakh voters. The same would be 17,000 where the number of voters is more than two lakh. Assam has 126 Assembly constituencies.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said land patta (land documents) would be handed over to 60,000 families of indigenous communities on October 5. Giving land to the landless indigenous people was one of the promises of BJP before 2016 Assembly polls.

Sarma also announced that 50,000 posts of government jobs would be filled up by February before the announcement of the model code of conduct for the Assembly polls. The process is also underway to give a scooty to girl students, who passed Class XII with first division (60%).

The government is rushing to implement the schemes despite shrinking revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic.