NEW DELHI, July 26 ? While the Congress-ruled State Government showed extra alertness over Ministry of Home Affairs? (MHA) statement on presence of 50 lakh illegal immigrants, since withdrawn, an interim report pertaining to implementation of Assam Accord is gathering dust, as Assam Government is yet to finalise its stand on the definition of Assamese people.
Interestingly like its statement on estimates of illegal Bangladeshi migrants, this revelation too came from the Ministry of Home Affairs. In a statement tabled in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs, S. Reghupathy in reply to a question tabled by Sarbananda Sonowal, said the two sub-committees consisting of representatives of the Government of India, Assam and All Assam Students Union (AASU) were constituted to examine the proposals under Clauses Six and Seven of the Assam Accord.
?While an interim report was submitted by the Tripartite Sub-Committee on Clause Six, the same could not be processed further because the Government of Assam is yet to finalise its stand on definition of Assamese people and modalities for reservation for Assamese people in elected bodies and State legislature,? the MoS said. Clause Six and Seven of the Assam Accord signed in 1985 refers to safeguarding the identity and culture of the Assamese people and economic development of the State, respectively. The seriousness of the implementation of the Accord signed a good 19 years ago can be gauged from the fact that the Tripartite Committee that reviews the implementation of the Accord has not met over a year now. The last meeting to review the implementation was held on February 14, last year. This, despite the MoS?s admission that implementation of some of the clauses of the Accord needed continuous monitoring.
What is even more curious is that neither the AASU nor the Assam Government has pressed the MHA for a meeting of the Tripartite Committee to review clause-wise, implementation of the Accord particularly the vital clause on definition of Assamese people. For records, the MoS has stated that a cultural centre called the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Complex was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 18.85 crore. Jyoti Chitraban (Film) Studio at Guwahati was modernised. As for implementation of the Clause Seven, the Minister listed out that Numaligarh Refinery was set up at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore in 1999, two Central universities at Tezpur and Silchar and IIT at North Guwahati were set up besides 60 MW Kathalguri Power project commissioned.
About implementation of Clause 5.1 to 5.9 pertaining to foreigners issue, the MoS said that 11 tribunals under the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order 1964 have been created in Assam for identifying foreigners of 1966-1971 stream. Special Registration Officers have been appointed. Sanction was also accorded for the creation of 1,280 additional posts under Prevention of Infiltration of Foreigners Scheme. Besides 16 Tribunals under IMDT Act have been created in Assam, where 10,693 persons have been declared as illegal migrants and 1,526 illegal migrants have been physically expelled till December 31, last year.
Pointing out that powers to issue citizenship certificates now vests solely with the Central Government, Minister claimed that Phase I of the border fencing and roads has been completed. Phase II involving fencing of 2,429 km and 797 km of border roads was expected to be completed by 2006. In order to expedite the completion, the work has been allocated to a number of agencies, the Minister said. It was also claimed that disciplinary cases against employees in connection with the agitation were reviewed. In matter of recruitment, order were issued by the Central Government for relaxation in upper age limit up to a maximum of six years in the case of candidates who had ordinarily resided in Assam during 1980 to 1985.