Sonowal to receive Clause 6 panel report with full cabinet on Tue

Guwahati, Feb 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, along with his entire cabinet, would on Tuesday receive the final report of the high-level panel formed to review and suggest measures for the implementation of Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord, a senior minister said on Saturday.

Disclosing this, state Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the matter was discussed with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who stated that the report would be reviewed by the Centre and the 14-member committee will be called if need be.

"On February 25, Sarbananda Sonowal, with his entire cabinet, will receive the report," he said.

The committee completed its report on February 10 and then intimated the Union Home Ministry.

Panel member and All Assam Students Union General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi had earlier said that the committed had handed over its report in a sealed cover to state Chief Secretary Sanjay Krishna through the Assam Accord Implementation Department.

Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord pledges to provide constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

The committee has proposed 1951 as the cut-off year for implementing Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state.

The ILP, a mechanism to control the entry of outsiders into the state, has been implemented in the states of Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. It was also introduced in Manipur in the wake of protests over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act.

The Union Home Ministry set up the panel to examine the effectiveness of actions taken since 1985 to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, and suggest measures.

Source: IANS