Guwahati (Assam) [India], September 27 (HBTV): The Assam government has accepted 1951 as the cut-off year for implementation of the recommendations of the Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma committee for Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. 

A crucial meeting between the Assam government and the leadership of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) was held on Wednesday at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati for implementation of the recommendations of the Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma committee for Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that, "The state government has already implemented some of the recommendations of the Justice (Retd) Biplab Sarma Committee such as having 1951 as the cutoff year for several of schemes. For instance, this has been incorporated in Mission Basundhara." 

"As per the recommendations of the Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma Committee, the state government has accepted 1951 as a cut-off year and it is already in Mission Basundhara and we are doing that for last 3 years itself. We have formally discussed, but on spirit we are already implementing the recommendation. So, we have accepted the cut-off year of 1951 in the context of specific recommendation. It is not that when you go to apply for a licence you have to show 1951, when you have to go to a restaurant you have to show 1951, it is not that, only in regard to the specific recommendation of 1951. But we have not accepted 1951 as a general cut-off date for day to day life of Assam, which we can't do," Sarma said. He further said that, in last assembly, the state government has passed three land bills where the government has made 1951 as a cut-off year.

"We have not mentioned 1951, but we said three generations, three generations mean one generation is 25 years, so it is 1951. But going to voting, apply for job nobody will ask 1951. There is nothing to be created a panic that you have accepted 1951. Because Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma Committee report has not said that you adopt 1951 as a general day to day life, he has only said that, so far as these recommendations are concerned and these recommendations are very few, you take 1951 as a cut-off year," Dr Sarma said.     

On July 15, 2019, the Union Home Ministry had constituted the High Level Committee under Chairmanship of Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma in respect of Clause 6 of Assam Accord and on February 20, 2020, the committee had submitted its report to the then Assam Chief on implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. 

"As per the recommendations of Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma Committee, protection of land, culture and language rights are with the State Govt and we have already undertaken efforts in this direction over and beyond the recommendations," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

(ANI)