Assam Cabinet recommends to convene state assembly at Kokrajhar in December

Guwahati (Assam) [India], September 9 (ANI): The Assam Cabinet has recommended that the Assam Assembly convenes in Kokrajhar in December, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement on Friday. 

The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting held at State Guest House in Guwahati’s Koinadhara on Friday evening under the chairmanship of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. 

Announcing the cabinet decisions, the Assam Chief Minister said that the state cabinet has recommended that the Assam Assembly convenes in Kokrajhar in December 2023.

“The state cabinet has approved several important bills including Panchayati Raj. The state cabinet has also decided to form 79 sub-districts in the state,” CM Sarma said.

The CM also announced that the cabinet approved Rs 10 cr financial assistance to flood-affected in Himachal Pradesh. 

Among other decisions taken at the Assam Cabinet, it has also resolved to revise the flood season from May 1 to October 31 and also approve fair compensation and transparency in Land Acquisition R&R (Assam Amendment) Bill.

The state cabinet has also made a recommendation to the central government to withdraw Disturbed Areas Act and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the entire state. 

CM cited the significant improvement in the law and order situation, the surrendering of scores of underground cadres of extremist outfits with huge caches of arms and ammunition following the signing of several peace accords and the drastic fall in deaths of security personnel and civilians as reasons for the complete lifting of AFSPA from Assam. 

“We decided to request the central government to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) completely from the state of Assam. However, we will abide by the decision of the central government, more particularly the Home Ministry, because it is, after all, the central government that will assess the situation,” CM Sarma told reporters in Guwahati.

CM Sarma recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and discussed about the roadmap for the complete withdrawal of AFSPA from Assam.

The AFSPA was first imposed in Assam in November 1990 and has been extended every six months since then after a review by the state government.