Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sharma forms 3-member Cabinet Committee to resolve tribal issues

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that the Assam government will be forming a three-member cabinet committee to discuss and resolve all issues related to the tribal people of the state. The Chief Minister, in a review meeting with the representatives of the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA), said that the cabinet committee will hold regular meetings with them to settle all issues through discussions.

The Assam CM also maintained that the Cabinet Committee will take prompt measures for the establishment of land rights and other concerns of the tribal people. Assam CM Sarma also stated that he will be holding further discussions with the CCTOA representatives to keep track of the development of the talks on the adorementioned issues during the next six months.

CCTOA tenders 10-point demand to CM Sarma

An official release by the Assam government stated that, collectively 24 students and social organisations of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities took part in the meeting. The CCTOA delegates meanwhile tendered a notice to the Chief Minister highlighting their 10 demands, including preservation of tribal belts and blocks, land rights of forest dwellers, implementation of post-based reservation policy and filling up of backlog posts, constitutional status to tribal Autonomous Councils among others.

Present in the meeting were the Minister for Education and Welfare of Plains Tribe and Backward Classes Ranoj Pegu, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Pramod Bodo and senior officials of the state government. 

70 missing in Assam Ferry disaster

Meanwhile, in a disastrous turn of events, two ferries collided on the Brahmaputra river flowing over Assam's Jorhat district on Wednesday, September 8. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials rushed to the site near Nimati Ghat, Jorhat immediately and rescue operations were underway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking note of this calamity, expressed his condolences. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had confirmed the event and expressed his anguish. As per the latest reports, 70 people are still missing, said a rescue official on Wednesday.
According to NDRF Deputy Commandant P Srivastava, 50 people have been rescued while 70 are still missing in the mishap in which a boat carrying about 100 passengers and some vehicles capsized after colliding with another boat in the Brahmaputra river in Assam.

(With Inputs from PTI)

Image Credits: Himanta Biswa/Twitter, Pixabay