CCTOA calls for Assam bandh on March 13

Guwahati, March 5: Co-ordition Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA) has called for a 12-hour Assam bandh on March 13 in protest against the non-fulfillment of their long-standing demands by the State Government. The decision to this effect was taken at an emergency meeting of the CCTOA held in Guwahati today. 

    Addressing a press meet in Guwahati, Chief Convener of CCTOA Aditya Khaklary and Convenor Promode Bodo  said that the bandh has been called to highlight three main demands of the Committee. 

The first demand pertains to the filling up, through immediate appointment, the backlog of 12,155 posts reserved for the Schedule Tribes of Assam in different  Government departments. Department-wise,  164 posts reserved for ST(Plains) lie vacant in the Water Resources department,  295 posts in the PWD, 3596 posts in the Education department, 90 posts in the Transport department, 145 posts in the Health department and 270 posts in the Home department.

In the matter of ST(Hills), 102 posts are lying vacant in the Water Resources department, 55 posts in the PWD , 5516 posts in the Education department, 57 posts in the Transport department, 70 posts in the Health department, 835 posts in the Home department, 92 posts in the Agriculture department and 30 posts in the Fince department. 

   By way of their second demand, the CCTOA has demanded that the flood and erosion-hit ST farmers of the Laika and Dodhia  areas, who are presently taking shelter at Torani forest in Margherita sub-division of Tinsukia district, be rehabilitated by the Government immediately.

The CCTOA has also alleged that around 1.5 lakh Indian citizens, mainly of the Karbi, the Mising, the Rabha, the Bodo and the Adivasi community in 450 villages in Sonitpur district and 85 villages in Biswath district are presently deprived of exercising their franchise in the panchayat polls. As its third principal demand, the Committee has demanded that the electoral rolls be properly revised to facilitate these citizens to cast their votes in the coming panchayat polls.