Hurdles cleared for Bodo Council

The final hurdle for the BTC’s creation was cleared nine months after an accord was signed between the government and the BLT. Though the accord was signed on February 10, the government kept delaying the procedures especially with the demarcation of the Council’s territory emerging as an issue.

On Friday, the government agreed to include 25 more villages to the BTC’s territory, which takes the total number of villages under the Council to 3,108. The notification also declared the Council as covered under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Council will have four districts — three of which will be carved out of the existing Assam districts of Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Darrang and Bongaigaon. These three new districts apart from the existing Kokrajhar, will be called Chirang, Udalguri and Baska.

Expressing satisfaction over the notification, BLT secretary general Derhasat Basumatary said leaders of various Bodo bodies will meet on Wednesday to discuss the Council’s formation. Those invited to this meeting included ABSU, Bodo People’s Action Committee (BPAC), Bodo Sahitya Sabha and members of the Bodoland Legislature Party.