Guwahati, April 6: About three years since the signing of the Bodo peace accord between the central government, Assam government and representatives of various Bodo groups, the Centre has informed that “most of the clauses of the memorandum of settlement (MoS) have been implemented.”
It may be recalled that the memorandum of settlement (MoS) was signed between the government and the Bodo groups on January 27, 2020 with the objective of ending the decades-long Bodo crisis and ushering in peace in areas under the Bodoland Territorial Council.
The Bodo groups comprised members of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), United Bodo People’s Organisation (UBPO) and four fractions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).
A joint monitoring committee, constituted with representatives of the Union ministry of home affairs; Assam government; Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and Bodo organisations, monitors the implementation of MoS on a regular basis.
“Most of the clauses of MoS have been implemented, which include surrender of 1615 cadres along with arms and ammunition, setting up of Bodo Kachari Welfare Council; establishment of a separate directorate of Bodo medium schools; creation of a separate welfare of Bodoland department to deal with matters relating to councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution including Bodo Territorial Council (BTC), etc,” Union minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai stated in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
Clause 10.1 of the MoS provides for a special development package of Rs 1500 crore (Rs 750 crore by central government and Rs 750 crore by the Assam government) for undertaking specific projects.
“Illustrative lists have been appended at Annexure-II, III and IV of MoS, which include Central University, North East Regional Institute of Medical Science, National Institute of Technology etc,” the Union minister stated.
In January this year, addressing the 55th annual conference of All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) in Rowta, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the state government was working earnestly to implement all the provisions of the Bodo Accord.
Sarma said that there has been new-found peace in BTR after the signing of the peace accord in 2020,