GUWAHATI, June 21– The Government of Assam is yet to start the process of holding the polls to the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BTC). As per the accord signed between the Central and State Governments and the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT), the election should have been held within six months from the day the interim council assumes office and already the stipulated time frame is over and it is not known when the polls to the Council will be held.
The spokesman of the BTC, Khampa Borgoyari, who is an executive member of the interim council, told The Assam Tribune that the interim council has written to the State Government twice to start the process of holding of the polls to the Council. He pointed out that the constituencies of the BTC would have to be delimited first to start the process of holding of the polls and it is still not sure whether the Government, the interim council or the Election Commission would carry out the process. It is up to the Government to take the decision on delimitation of the constituencies but so far no step has been taken in this regard.
The BTC spokesman said that the Chief Executive member of the interim council and other members are planning to visit New Delhi during the Budget session of the Parliament to meet the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and the Human Resource Development Minister to brief them of the position of the BTC. He said that they have already spoken to the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in this regard and “we are planning to meet the Union Ministers along with him.”
He pointed out that though the accord was signed by the previous Government, the present Government must follow the commitments made. He also said that the present State Government was a signatory to the Accord and it is the duty of the Government to ensure its success. Borgoyari said that though the Central Government promised to provide a special infrastructure development grant to the BTC for a period of five years, no money has yet been provided. He said that the State Government would make special provision in the budget for the BTC on the basis of population ratio and “we shall put forward our claim in this regard and hope that the State Government would make budgetary allocation in consultation with the BTC.” He also admitted that the BTC could not take up development activities to the desired extent because of paucity of funds. Moreover, the State Government has not yet issued the notification for transfer of 40 departments and subjects to the BTC. However, on the positive side, all the four districts under the BTC are functional now as the State Government has posted the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to three newly created districts.