Assam: State Cabinet Approves Bill to Check Polygamy

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The state Cabinet today approved the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, which provides for seven years’ imprisonment for any man marrying more than one woman. An amount of Rs 478.78 crore was also approved for the new building of the Gauhati High Court to be constructed at Rangmahal in North Guwahati.

Speaking to the media after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We have passed the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, to check polygamy in Assam in today’s cabinet meeting. The Bill will be tabled on the first day of the Winter Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, scheduled to start on November 25. Provisions in the bill will allow for rigorous imprisonment of seven years if any man marries more than one woman. It will be a non-cognizable offence, which means that an accused will not get bail easily for violating it. The victim woman of polygamy will be provided compensation from a fund created for the purpose. Tribal people will be kept out of the purview of the bill, as their customs differ. Immediately after the bill is implemented, it will not be applicable in the sixth schedule areas of BTC and Karbi Anglong.”

Regarding the new building of Gauhati High Court, the CM said, “For the first-phase construction of the new Gauhati High Court building at Rangmahal, the cabinet today approved an amount of Rs 438.38 crore.

Now, the state PWD can issue the call for tenders. We plan to invite the Chief Justice of India to lay the foundation of the new building on January 26, 2026. The new building will have provision for 31 judges, a six-storey building for advocates and another six-storey building for office staff. A four-lane road will be constructed to access the new high court from both the Dol Gobinda temple side and the north bank end of the new Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge.”

The state Cabinet has approved the “Assam Startup and Innovation Policy 2025-30”, marking a significant step toward positioning Assam as one of India’s leading hubs for entrepreneurship and innovation in the next 5 years. The total financial implication for a period of 5 years is Rs. 397 crore.

The CM went on to say, “I have data on the growth of the Hindu and Muslim populations between 2001 and 2011. Everywhere, the growth of the Hindu population is coming down, and that of Muslims is increasing in every block of Assam. We’ve started the scrutiny of land sale permissions, where we found that Hindus have sold more land to Muslims and Muslims have sold much less to Hindus. This reflects a change not only in population but also in wealth. This is a sign of destruction.”

Regarding providing arms licences to Hindus living in areas where they are in the minority, the first batch of licences will be issued in February 2026. However, the process will be selective, the CM stated.

The State Cabinet has also approved the determination of the date of effect of promotion under  the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) in respect of the Assistant Professors and Librarians of Autonomous/PDUAM/ Model Degree/Provincialized/Government Colleges of Assam.

The State Cabinet has accorded approval to the establishment of “SU-KA-PHA University, Assam” to establish and constitute a teaching, residential and affiliating University at undivided Sivasagar or preferably Charaideo district, Assam for imparting higher education.

 Also Read: Will introduce a bill against polygamy: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma