GUWAHATI: The Assam government has constituted a four-member committee to include Bodo-majority villages in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and exclude non-Bodo settlements.
Himanta Biswa Sarma has showed optimism on the committee and stated that this will "resolve the most contentious issue on the basis of free will".
The task of the panel would be to oversee the inclusion of Bodo and exclusion of Non-Bodo areas in the BTR.
Earlier, Himanta Biswa Sarma commented on the issue saying, "Bodo villages near BTAD with more than 50% Bodo population can apply to be part of BTAD. Non-Bodo villages can also apply to opt-out of BTAD". However, all the villages have to be near the border.
The committee will be headed P P Verma, IAS. The members will be Administrators of BTC, Jayanta Basumutary, Vice President of All Bodo Students Union, Dalim Bayan, Convenor of Red Cross, Udalguri and Joint Secretary to the Government of Assam, Home and Political Department.