Himanta Biswa Sarma promises support, hints 125th Constitution amendment bill will be taken up in Budget Session

“State government (of Assam) is supporting the proposal for 125th amendment of the Constitution. Government of India is in the process of bringing that constitutional amendment. Standing Committee discussion has already been over. So…will see something positive in the upcoming Budget Session (of the Parliament),” Sarma said.

Sarma’s statement came on the sidelines of a public gathering celebrating five years of the Bodo Peace Accord, a tripartite agreement signed in January 2020 between the Union government, the Assam government and Bodo militant outfits that led to the establishment of the Bodoland Territorial Region, now governed by the 40-member autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

Autonomous councils have been demanding the Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill for a long time and Sarma’s public declaration of support comes as the BTC is due to go for elections this year.

A joint forum of the chief executive members (CEMs) of all 10 Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) from the Northeast had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in July 2024 to push for the passing of the Bill.

The 10 ADCs under the Sixth Schedule comprise three each from Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, and one from Tripura. These are elected bodies that have jurisdiction – with limited executive, legislative and financial powers – over specific tribal-majority areas. Their objective is to ensure development in these areas and boost self-government by tribal communities.

Amending Article 280 of the Constitution will enable the Finance Commission to recommend measures needed to augment the consolidated fund of the states to supplement resources of the Sixth Schedule Autonomous Councils, Village Councils and Municipal Councils.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pramod Boro, CEM of BTC, had indicated that the Centre perhaps had reservations towards amending Article 280 which would then bring the autonomous district councils, such as BTC, on par with the powers of a state.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Boro said, “They (Union government) are not opposing the (amendment) Article 280 but may still be thinking that the power is distributed between state and Union at present and if (amendment to Article) 280 is granted to the council, council will have the same power as the state.”

He added that “otherwise, the government of India agrees that more power should be given to the councils”. “We (Bodoland Territorial Council) are getting very little money (at present). In taxation also, we get very less tax from whatever resources are available such as minerals etc,” he added.

The BJP and the United People’s Party Liberal, the party that Boro belongs to, are in power at the BTC.