Assam: State cabinet decides to table Tewari and Mehta Commission reports

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: In a decision of considerable importance, the state cabinet today decided to table not only the Tiwari Commission report but also the TU Mehta Commission report on the first day of the Winter Session on November 25. The reports pertain to violence occurring in the year 1983, during the Assam Movement. The Tiwari Commission was constituted by the Assam government, while the TU Mehta Commission was formed by the agitators.

The other important decisions taken today include the allotment of land in tea garden lines to the tea workers in possession of such land by amending the Ceiling Act and a 6% annual increment of salaries of 3rd and 4th grade employees of provincialized colleges and schools, among others. Regarding ST status for 6 communities, a special cabinet meeting will be held on November 26, and the report placed in the Assembly on November 27.

After the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “During the unrest and clashes in 1983, over 2,000 people died in Assam. The state government had formed the Tiwari Commission, and later former CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta tabled its report on the floor of the Assembly. But he didn’t provide copies of the report to the MLAs. Today, we’ve decided to give copies of the Tiwari Commission report to all MLAs on November 25, in the Assembly. Recently, the AASU expressed its agreement with the state government to provide copies of the Tiwari Commission report but urged us to also submit the TU Mehta Commission’s report in the Assembly. While the Tewari Commission was constituted by the Assam government, the TU Mehta Commission was formed by the freedom fighters’ association, with the help of AASU and Gana Sangram Parishad. Commission chairman TU Mehta was a retired Chief Justice of the Himachal High Court. Although it is not a government report, we still decided to submit the report. If the Tiwari Commission’s report is not made public, many facts will remain unknown. This Commission had mentioned constitutional safeguards as far back as 1983.”  

The State Cabinet approved the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fees) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at strengthening the regulation of fees charged by private educational institutions and ensuring that all non-government educational institutions, including those established and managed by minorities under Article 30(1) of the Constitution of India, are subject to transparent registration, fee fixation, and periodic renewal as mandated by law.

The State Cabinet also approved the Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Non-Teaching Staff of Venture Educational Institutions) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to provide for annual enhancement of fixed monthly salaries of provincialised non-teaching staff working in venture educational institutions, introducing a provision for six per cent annual enhancement. This amendment is intended to offer financial relief and career progression to non-teaching employees, addressing long-pending demands for salary revision and improving their morale and service motivation. The proposed amendment will benefit 3,093 non-teaching employees serving in provincialised educational institutions across the state.

The Cabinet approved the Assam Elementary and Secondary Schools Teachers’ (Regulation of Posting and Transfer) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which provides for relaxation in the mandatory service period for female teachers serving in remote and difficult border areas of Assam. Under the amended provision of Section 7(a) of the Principal Act, 2020, female teachers who have completed five (5) years and for male Teachers  who have completed seven(7) years of continuous service in border districts adjoining Bangladesh, particularly Dhubri, South Salmara, and riverine island areas, will now be eligible to apply for transfer to their home districts or nearby contiguous districts.

The Cabinet approved the establishment of “NERIM University, Assam” under The Assam Private University Act, 2007 (Assam Act No. XII of 2007). The university will be established as a self-financing private university to impart quality higher education and promote research, innovation, and professional learning in Assam.

The State Cabinet has approved the establishment of Azim Premji University, Assam, along with the Azim Premji University Bill, 2025, paving the way for the creation of a major philanthropic, not-for-profit higher education institution in the State.

The State Cabinet has approved the introduction of the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill, 2025, before the Assam Legislative Assembly, which seeks to exclude labour lines (garden labour colonies) from the definition of “purposes ancillary to special cultivation” in tea estates. This landmark amendment aims to ensure secure land rights for tea garden worker families by allowing the state to resume labour line land and settle it exclusively with verified worker households. As part of the reform, each tea garden worker family residing in labour lines will be eligible for settlement. A total of 2,18,553 bighas of land across 825 tea estates and 3,33,486 tea worker families are expected to benefit under this historic piece of legislation.

The State Cabinet also approved the introduction of the Karbi Welfare Autonomous Council Bill, 2025, before the Assam Legislative Assembly to create a Karbi Welfare Autonomous Council for Karbi people living outside the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) area.

The State Cabinet has approved the Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Policy of Assam, 2025, aimed at positioning Assam as the leading aviation MRO hub of Northeast India by 2030. The policy envisions the establishment of at least three world-class MRO facilities catering to both civil and defence aviation sectors, attracting cumulative investments of around Rs. 1,500 crore and generating over 1,000 skilled jobs by 2030.

The State Government has approved the constitution of a High Powered Investment Committee headed by the Chief Minister for high-value investments of Rs 10,000 crore and above to serve as the apex mechanism for policy-level facilitation, expedited clearances, customised incentive structuring where required, and continuous support for such strategic projects.

The State Cabinet has approved placing the Mehta (Unofficial) Judicial Commission of Enquiry Report on the incidents related to the 1983 Assam Election violence before the Assam Legislative Assembly in the upcoming session.

The State Cabinet has approved placing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2025, before the Assam Legislative Assembly, paving the way for permitting the traditional Buffalo fight (Moh Juj) during Magh Bihu celebrations, similar to the Jallikattu event in Tamil Nadu.

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