Author name: OnlineAge

GUWAHATI : The Assam cabinet on Wednesday approved the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, but the tribal population will be kept outside its purview, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The draft of the UCC Bill will be laid before the assembly on May 26, the chief minister said at a press conference here after chairing the first cabinet meeting of his second term as the head of the government. The UCC will primarily cover the four subjects — minimum age of marriage, prohibition of polygamy, equal rights for daughters in parents’ property and matters relating to live-in relationships. “This is a major decision taken in the first cabinet meeting and aligns with the commitment we made during the elections,” the CM said. Sarma said Uttarakhand, Goa and Gujarat have already implemented the UCC, but his government has customised it for the requirements of Assam. ”We have completely exempted the tribal population from the purview of UCC. All rituals, traditions and customs practised by the people of Assam outside the scope of UCC,” he said. The UCC will deal with succession, marriage, live-in relationships and compulsory registration of marriage and divorce, he added. It will create a uniform set of laws for all residents — excluding Scheduled Tribes and Adivasi communities — and will replace various religion-based personal laws with a common legal framework to ensure equality and transparency, define core legal terms and recognise various customs and modern family structures, Sarma said. The CM also stated that religious practices and rituals related to marriages will not fall within the purview of the UCC. The cabinet also adopted several austerity measures in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for fuel conservation amid the prevailing West Asia crisis. The measures include downsizing convoys of the governor, CM, ministers and government officials, reduction of government fuel consumption by 20 per cent and a six-month ban on procuring new cars or foreign items by the government. The other austerity measures include no official or private foreign trips by ministers and officials except in the case of medical emergencies, no physical meetings or seminars for six months. The government will rent only electric vehicles, if required, and efforts to scrap 15-20-year-old vehicles will be expedited. The Cabinet also adopted the BJP’s election manifesto as the guiding principle of governance for the next five years and will form the base of policy formulation in the state, Sarma said. ”The decisive mandate received by the BJP-led NDA in the 2026 assembly elections is a public endorsement of the BJP’s ‘Sankalpa Patra’ which is a formal governance agenda committing the government to deliver 31 specific promises over the five-year term”, he said. A Manifesto Implementation Cell (MIC) will be established in the Chief Minister’s Office to coordinate, monitor and report on the implementation of the promises made during the election and to address interdepartmental issues as they arise. The cabinet also approved the constitution of a task force under the chief secretary to decide on how to provide government jobs to two lakh youth in the next five years, and he will submit the report within three months, the CM said. The chief secretary will discuss the matter with all government departments, corporations, universities, Sixth Schedule Councils so that youth can get jobs, he added. The cabinet also approved that the closing ceremony of Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s year-long centenary celebrations will be held on September 8 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The Cabinet also gave its nod that a Rs 32 crore museum will be set up with memorabilia of the singing maestro at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra here. Of the toal amount, Rs 13 crore will be provided by the North East Council and the remaining by the state government. The cabinet also approved the appointment of Devajit Saikia as the Advocate General for a second term of five years. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : The Assam cabinet on Wednesday adopted several austerity measures following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for fuel conservation amid the prevailing West Asia crisis, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The decisions were taken at the first cabinet meeting chaired by Sarma in his second term. ”The Assam cabinet went through the appeal made by the PM to save foreign exchange and came out with certain recommendations”, the CM told a press conference. As part of the austerity measures, the state government decided to downsize the convoy of the governor, CM, ministers and other officials. It has also been decided that no government official will go abroad for official or private trips for the next six months, except in the case of a medical emergency, he said. ”We have decided not to purchase any new vehicles for the next six months and will encourage scrapping of vehicles in a big way,” Sarma added. The state government will also reduce fuel expenditure by 20 per cent as compared to the last financial year, he said. Sarma added that seminars and other physical meetings will be discouraged, with greater emphasis on online conferences and virtual meetings. Modi had recently urged austerity and fuel-saving measures, warning that the ongoing military conflict in West Asia could trigger a crisis “bigger than the global COVID pandemic.” (Source: PTI)        

IMPHAL : Three persons were allegedly killed and several others injured in an ambush by suspected militants in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Wednesday, police said. The incident happened between Kotzim and Kotlen villages when members of the Thadou Baptist Association (TBA) were returning from Churachandpur, they said. Among those killed was Reverend V Sitlhour, a former general secretary of the Manipur Baptist Convention, they said. The victims were travelling in two vehicles, police said, adding that they were gathering more details about the attack. (Source: PTI)

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that the law will take its own course in the case filed by his wife against Congress leader Pawan Khera for alleging that she possessed multiple passports and undisclosed properties abroad. As per the Supreme Court order, he (Khera) appeared before the Crime Branch on Wednesday, and the police will definitely ask him questions, the chief minister said at a press conference here after chairing the first cabinet meeting of his second term in office. “The law will take its own course, but we have already received in writing from the Union government that the documents Khera displayed were fake,” he said. Police investigations, therefore, will not take long, and they will be able to submit the chargesheet within the stipulated time, the CM said. ”If he continues to cooperate, the submission of the chargesheet or final report will be faster, but if he does not, it may take time. We want to conclude the case as soon as possible,” Sarma added. Khera came to the Crime Branch office here earlier in the day and said he was cooperating with the investigation. “I have been summoned by the police and have come accordingly. We respect the law and the judiciary, so I am here as per legal procedure,” he said. Khera said he would speak to the press in detail after the questioning was completed. The chief minister’s wife had filed criminal complaints against Khera and others at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges against the Congress leader include making false statements in connection with an election, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents as genuine, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and defamation. (Source: PTI)