Guwahati, january 28: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed hope that the Centre will introduce the 125th Constitution Amendment Bill in the upcoming Parliament session. The bill aims to devolve more powers to tribal autonomous councils, such as the one in Bodo-dominated areas of the state .
The proposed amendment seeks to enhance the financial, executive, and administrative powers of tribal autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. It also proposes the formation of Village and Municipal Councils, in addition to the existing District and Regional Councils .
Sarma, accompanied by Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief executive member Pramod Boro, stated that the state government supports the amendment. He added that the Standing Committee discussion is over, and both he and Boro are hopeful that something positive will come out of the Budget Session.
The 125th Constitution Amendment Bill, 2019, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by the Union government in 2019. The bill seeks to amend provisions related to the Finance Commission and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which relates to the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
Sarma also highlighted the success of the Bodo Peace Accord of 2020, stating that over 6,000 people have come to the mainstream, and there has been no armed person in the region over the last 3.5 years. He emphasized that the narrative of Bodo and non-Bodo has ended, and Assam and the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) are not different, sharing the same prosperity.
