United Bodo People's Organization (UBPO) demands implementation of agreement outside BTR area

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The United Bodo People's Organization (UBPO) has demanded that the Centre and State Government should ensure implementation of the BTR agreement in areas outside the BTR to protect, secure and develop the political, economic, cultural and educational rights of Bodo people living there.

Addressing the media here on Friday, UBPO president Manuranjan Basumatary said that various clauses of the BTR agreement, which was signed on January 27, 2020, has not been implemented properly in Bodo-populated areas outside the BTR. He said that while a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) has been formed in accordance with Clause 5.1 of the BTR pact, yet no fund has been allocated for establishing and developing infrastructure under the council.

Similarly, he said that a joint advisory committee has been set up to determine constituencies under the BKWAC in accordance with Clause 5.2 of the BTR agreement, but it has failed to take any fruitful steps in this regard so far. As a result, development works for the Bodo people living in the Sonitpur and Biswanath districts have been hampered.

Basumatary said that a directorate for Bodo-medium and other tribal languages has been established in accordance with Clause 6.4, but it has no infrastructure as yet. He demanded that steps be taken too appoint adequate staff and develop requisite infrastructure in the directorate.

Basumatary said that according to Clause 6.1 of the pact, Bodos living in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao should be granted the status of ST (Hills), but this has also not been done.

The provision of Clause 6.2 for making the Bodo language an associate language in all Government offices of the State has not been implemented, he said, and demanded that appropriate steps be taken expeditiously in this regard.

He further demanded that all non-provincialized Bodo-medium schools located outside the BTR be provincialized as per Clause 6.3 of the BTR pact.

Basumatary demanded that the land rights of tribal people living outside Tribal Belts and Blocks in non-BTR areas should also be protected by the Government as per Clause 7.1. As per Clause 7.2, all Government Khas land and grazing reserves should be freed from encroachment, he added.

The UBPO leader also demanded that as per Clause 8.4 of the BTR pact, the exact number of martyrs of the Bodoland agitation should be ascertained and thereafter compensation of Rs 5 lakh should be given to each martyr's family.

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