Assam Governor Professor Jagdish Mukhi takes charge of Bodoland Territorial Council

Rajesh Prasad appointed as Council Administrator

OUR BUREAU

GUWAHATI/TANGLA: Assam Governor Professor Jagdish Mukhi has taken over the administration of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) after the expiry of the present Council’s term on Monday.

The State’s Governor is the Constitutional head of the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) that fall under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and is administered by the BTC.

Even though elections were scheduled to be held for the BTC on April 4, it was deferred indefinitely in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 20, the Assam State Election Commission issued an official order deferring the elections indefinitely.

Commissioner & Secretary of WPT&BC department Dr M Angamuthu, in a notification issued on Monday, stated that the Governor has appointed Rajesh Prasad, Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam to exercise all the functions and powers exercisable by the BTC and its Executive Committee, Chief Executive Member, Deputy Chief Executive Member, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Executive Members, subject to such directions as may be issued by the Governor from time to time.

As per the notification Rajesh Prasad will have to perform his duties under the superintendence, direction and control of the Governor. Prasad has been designated as the Administrator of BTC.

Meanwhile as per notification No. TAD/BTC/218/2017/98 dated Dispur the 27th April 2020 issued by the Department of Welfare of Plains Tribes and Backward Classes Government of Assam, Siddhartha Singh, IAS Commissioner and Secretary, PHE, MD, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan Mission etc. has been posted as Principal Secretary of Bodoland Territorial Council, Kokrajhar.

It may be mentioned that many political parties, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), did not want the term of BTC to be extended. After a meeting with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal last week, a BJP delegation met the Governor Jagdish Mukhi and sought imposition of Governor’s rule in BTAD.

The delegation argued that the COVID pandemic and its aftermath would make it impossible to hold the elections in the near future.

The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), an influential organization, had also opposed extending the BTC’s term. The BPF which had been ruling the Council, on the other hand, wanted the Council’s term to be extended by six months or till the elections are held.

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