Bodoland Accord 2020

Bodoland Accord 2020

An accord for final settlement of demands in Bodoland was signed on Monday afternoon in New Delhi.

Bodoland will now be named as Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), and will have more administrative power.

Cadres of all the four factions of NSFB will lay down arms on January 30.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the tripartite agreement will restore peace and development in the insurgency-ravaged areas of Bodoland.

All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and all the NDFB factions signed the agreement tripartite agreement.

The NDFB factions are be led by Ranjan Daimari, Govinda Basumatary, Dhiren Boro and B Saoraigra signed the agreement.

ABSU president Pramod Boro and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Hagrama Mohilary also signed the accord.

Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna also signed the agreement.

Amit Shah said the tri-partite agreement fulfill all the key political and economic demands of Bodoland.

He said the centre will set up a monitoring committee for implementation of the provisions of the accord.

Assam chief minister Sarbanand Sonowal and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also attended the accord signing ceremony.

A total of 1550 NDFB cadres along with 130 weapons will surrender in a ceremony on January 30, home minister Shah said.

Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said predominantly tribal village to be included and non-tribal villages to be excluded.

He said a commission to be constituted by state government to decide this.

“Representatives ABSU and present BTC members to be part of the commission,” Sarma said.

A special package of Rs 900 crore has been granted by the Centre for overall development of the Bodoland areas.

Besides, the government will assure the Bodo groups to safeguard the Bodo language and culture.

Bodo language will now be an associate official language with Devanagari script in Assam.

Accord at a glance

• The number of seats in BTAD will be increased from 40 to 60
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• A central university will be set up at Barama in the name of Upendra Nath Brahma
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• Special industrial policy for BTAD

   Gorkha hostel in chirang

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• Railway coach factory to be set up in BTAD area
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• Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre to be set up at Udalguri, Baksa and Chirang
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• DC, SP will be appointed in consultation with BTC authority
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• A National Sports University will be set up
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• Autonomous Welfare Council for the Bodo people living outside BTAD areas
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• A Cancer Hospital and Medical College will be set up in Tamulpur
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• GOI to expedite the process of granting Hills tribe status to Bodos living in Hills areas
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• A veterinary college will be set up at Kumarikata
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• A central university and RIIMS will be set up in Udalguri
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• Special industrial policy for BTAD.

THIRD BODO ACCORD

This is the third Bodo accord to be signed in last 27 years when the violent movement for a separate Bodoland state claimed hundreds of lives, destruction of public and private properties.

The first Bodo accord was signed with the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) in 1993, leading to creation of a Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited political powers.

In 2003, the second Bodo accord was signed with the militant group Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), leading to formation of a Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) with four districts of Assam -- Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Udalguri -- called the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD).

The BTC has control over 30 subjects like education, forests, horticulture but no jurisdiction on the police, revenue and general administration departments, which are controlled by the Assam government. The BTC was formed under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.

The demand for a separate state for the Bodos has been going on in Assam for about five decades and several Bodo overground and militant groups raising it leading to agitations, protests, violence and many deaths.