After 23 years, Assam Accord awaits implementation

Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 13 - More than 23 years have passed since the signing of the Assam Accord, but till date, the Government has not been able to finalise the definition of "Assamese people" to provide constitutional safeguards under the provisions of Clause 6 of the Accord. The Central and State Governments also missed several deadlines on completion of roads and fencing along the international border with Bangladesh and the new deadline set for the purpose is March, 2010.The Minister in-charge of Assam Accord Implementation, Dr Bhumidhar Barman recently submitted a detailed clause-wise report on the progress of implementation of the Assam Accord in the State Assembly and the contents of the report proved that most of the major clauses are yet to be implemented. The report said that the Government constituted a committee of Ministers to examine all the issues relating to the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord including the definition of "Assamese people". However, till date, the committee met only once in 2006, thrice in 2007 and once in 2008. However, All Assam Students' Union (AASU) adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said that the tripartite sub committee agreed in principle to reserve seats in the Parliament, State Assembly and local bodies for the indigenous people way back in the 1990s, but that is yet to be done because of the failure of the Government to clarify the definition of "Assamese people".The report submitted in the State Assembly said that a list of 30 monuments were sent to the Government of India for preservation by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) but only five of those-Singri temple ruins, Urvashi Archaeological site, Poa Mecca, Haygriva Madhava Temple and Kedar Temple have been accepted. A project proposal for Rs 91.46 crore has been prepared for the protection, preservation and development of the remaining 25 sites and the same has been sent to the ASI. The report said that a proposal for the protection and preservation of the satras was also sent to the Government of India but the Planning Commission has scaled down the cost of the project from Rs 96.59 crore to Rs 25 crore and the same is under consideration of the Government of India.The report revealed that a proposal for establishment of a media archives cum national reference library is under consideration of the Centre, while, the Executive Council of the Jawaharlal Nehru University has approved establishment of an Assamese chair in the Centre of Indian Language, Literature and Culture Studies of the University. In clause 7 of the Accord, the Centre promised to take steps for economic development of the State and the AASU also submitted a detailed proposal to the Government with short and long-term measures in this regard. But the report on the implementation of the Accord proved that very little has been done in this regard so far and the only positive step that the report pointed out is the implementation of the Gas Cracker Project at a cost of Rs 5460 crore. Permanent solution of the problem of flood and erosion was an important component of the demand of the AASU under the provisions of the clause 7 of the Accord and the report said that the North East Water Resources Authority is yet to be constituted and during the current financial year, the Centre released Rs 90 crore as the first instalment for taking up flood control measures. The report admitted that the Ashok paper Mill is yet to be revived and the matter has been taken up with the Government of India, but the Centre has declared Bogibeel bridge as a national project. The Centre sanctioned Rs 119.95 crore for upgrading Guwahati Medical College Hospital as a super speciality hospital, while, the State Government has constituted an Employment Generation Mission.Under the provisions of clause 12 of the Accord, action was taken to make birth and death registration compulsory and due to the actions taken by the Government, birth registration increased from 56 percent in 2003 to 73 percent in 2007, while, during the same period, death registration increased from 27 percent to 34 percent, the report added.The report further revealed that an ex gratia amount of Rs 30,000 was paid to the next of kin of the martyrs of the Assam movement and a proposal for increasing the same to Rs two lakh is under consideration of the Government. source: assam tribune