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    Amit Shah wants Assam govt to engage legal experts to examine the clause 6 panel’s recommendations

    Synopsis

    The comments came after Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal met the Union home minister in Delhi on Sunday and discussed the status of clause 6 panel on Assam accord, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and granting of scheduled tribe status to six communities of the state. Sarma was also present in the meeting.

    Amit-Shah---AFPAFP
    Amit Shah (File Pic)
    GUWAHATI: Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Union home minister Amit Shah has asked the state government to engage legal experts and constitutional experts to examine the clause 6 panel’s recommendations.

    Sarma told media persons that since the panel’s recommendations would require constitutional and legal changes, the home minister wants the matter to be examined by legal experts.

    The comments came after Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal met the Union home minister in Delhi on Sunday and discussed the status of clause 6 panel on Assam accord, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and granting of scheduled tribe status to six communities of the state. Sarma was also present in the meeting.

    Clause 6 provides for constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people. The clause 6 panel has recommended that till deportation of post-1971 stream of declared foreigners is completed, they should be resettled in areas outside Assam as an interim measure.

    The panel is of the opinion that to give full effect to its recommendations several constitutional and legislative amendments will be necessitated. The existing Article 371-B in the Constitution will need to be amended, it has said.

    Several organisations in Assam have slammed the BJP-led government in the state, alleging that it is not serious about implementing the recommendations of the clause 6 panel.

    On August 11, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) had made public recommendations of the panel in a media conference. The 14-member panel was headed by Justice (retd) Biplab Kumar Sarma. AASU had three members in the panel which had submitted its recommendations to the chief minister, who accepted the same on behalf of the Union home minister in February this year.

    Sarma also said the state government will once again raise in the Supreme Court the issue of 20% sample reverification of names included in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the districts of Assam bordering Bangladesh and a 10% sample reverification of names included in the draft NRC in the remaining districts. The Centre will support the state government’s affidavit in Supreme Court.


    The state finance minister said a month’s deadline has been fixed for implementation of various provisions of Bodo Accord. “We will identify the provisions which need to be fulfilled by the Centre and the state,” he said.

    The Union government had on January 27 inked a pact with four factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB). Sarma said a group of ministers (GoM) has been asked to submit its recommendations to the Centre within one month.

    Sarma, who is the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), said that Shah has kept four days for Northeast India. “On Saturday we discussed the Naga peace process. Today we discussed Assam. On Monday we will discuss Tripura and Manipur. We will discuss the Bru-Reang issue,” he said.





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