Dispur forms Cabinet sub-committee

SIXTH SCHEDULE STATUS

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, April 10: The Assam Government has constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to consider whether the Sixth Schedule status could be accorded to the Mising, Rabha Hasong and Tiwa communities living in the State or not.

The Cabinet sub-committee headed by Transport and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary will examine the issue of according the Sixth Schedule status to the three indigenous communities in depth as well recommend a policy for demarcation of boundaries of areas where they are currently living. The Mising, Rabha Hasong and Tiwa communities are now having their autonomous councils and they have been demanding the Sixth Schedule status for quite a long time. Two other Cabinet ministers Ranjit Dutta and Pramila Rani Brahma are members of the Cabinet sub-committee.

Responding to the development, the Chief Executive Member of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council told The Sentinel on Tuesday that the demand of Sixth Schedule is a long-pending and a justified demand of the community. He hoped that the Cabinet sub-committee will concede to the development. He said the current total population under the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council is 6.19 lakh.