Centre has made some suggestions, Assam Accord panel chief after meeting Amit Shah

GUWAHATI: The chairman of a 14-member panel, tasked with providing recommendations on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, said it has held discussions with the Centre and will submit its suggestions within 10-15 days.
Chairman Biplab Kumar Sarma and three other members –– academician Mrinal Miri, former IAS officer Subhash Das and Assam’s advocate general Ramesh Borpatra Gohain ––held a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday.

Sarma told media persons in New Delhi: “We will go to Guwahati and after Bihu festival, we will meet the (other) members and discuss details of the New Delhi meeting. The Centre has made some suggestions. This meeting was in connection with seeking suggestions from the Centre for we had already sought suggestions from different stakeholders, including the state government. After meeting the members, we will have an action plan ready.”

“There is some last-minute work, corrections. We will require some more time. The recommendations will be ready in 10-15 days. By that time, we will be in a position to submit the same. “There is no problem on the definition of who an Assamese is, for those who think they are devout Assamese (hara himuja) are Assamese.”

The Union home ministry had notified a high-level committee in respect of Clause 6 of Assam Accord.

The committee is tasked to give suggests on reservation of seats in Parliament, Assam assembly and local bodies for tribal, Assamese and other indigenous people of Assam.

The committee will also suggest measures for reservation in employment under the Government of Assam, central government, semi central government, central PSUs and private sector in Assam. Sarma said the panel, as per the mandate, has come up with measures for providing constitutional safeguard to the Assamese people.