GUWAHATI: The Assam government has announced a series of measures for the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, focusing on safeguards for land, language, and culture. Finance Minister Ajanta Neog revealed this while presenting the state budget for 2025-26 in the assembly on Monday, March 10.
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Following an earlier state meeting held in Lakhimpur on September 12, 2024, the government has decided to implement 52 recommendations from the High-Level Committee (HLC) report that fall under the state’s jurisdiction. Discussions with the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) have led to an action plan for implementing 39 recommendations thus far.
Several initiatives have been directed for the implementation of the accord, which are as follows:
- To promote cultural preservation, the government has allocated ₹100 crore to Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra (SSK) for research, documentation, and modernisation efforts. The Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute (DBHRGFTI) will also be upgraded to a degree-level institution within a year.
- A ₹700 crore plan has been outlined for constructing multipurpose cultural complexes in all 35 districts, named Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaruah Bhawan, with ₹240 crore allocated this year for 12 districts. Additionally, the government will provide ₹5 crore each for 20 new cultural complexes for various tribal and ethnic communities in 2025-26, with ₹100 crore set aside for the initiative.
- A new multilingual Central Library for Assamese and indigenous literature will also be constructed, while the Guwahati District Library, Kamrup (Metro) will be upgraded per HLC recommendations. Zikirs and Zaris composed by Ajan Pir will be translated into indigenous languages.
- The government has proposed strict implementation of the Assam Official Languages Act, 1960, including amendments to introduce penal provisions. The Directorate of Official Language Implementation will be upgraded into an independent directorate, with vacancies filled in a time-bound manner.
- From April 14, all government orders, notifications, and guidelines will be issued in bilingual format, making Assamese translation mandatory. The state has also allocated ₹50 crore over three years for research and infrastructure enhancement at the Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art, and Culture (ABILAC).
- The budget further provides for the teaching of indigenous languages in colleges and the establishment of Assamese language departments at Assam University, Silchar, and Tezpur University, pending approval. The history of Assamese people will be published, and from April 2025, Assam History will be compulsory in schools up to Class VIII.
- The government will identify revenue circles where only indigenous people can own land, restricting transfers to non-indigenous individuals. A legislative draft is under process, with a bill expected in September 2025. Meanwhile, the Mission Basundhara initiative will issue five lakh digital land pattas over three years to indigenous people.
- A task force will also be created to prepare a framework for industrial land use while protecting prime agricultural land. Land Tribunals will be proposed at the district level, and enforcement of land ceiling laws will be strengthened.
A Cabinet Sub-Committee is actively reviewing the Assam Accord’s implementation with AASU and other stakeholders, with a goal to execute all state-related recommendations within two years. The government will continue its engagement with AASU leadership to ensure time-bound implementation.
