KOKRAJHAR: The Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Boro Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC), Mihiniswar Basumatary on Thursday called for a united political struggle among the Bodos living within and outside the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) to find an effective solution to the remaining problems of the Bodos.
Talking to this reporter, Basumatary said the Bodos got two administrative arrangements through the BTR accord signed on January 27, 2020 that includes BTR with four districts in the northern belt of the River Brahmaputra under 6th schedule and BKWAC in the rest of Assam with satellite mode of administration. He said the present government had made many promises and many of them had been fulfilled. But there are certain core issues and clauses which are yet to be implemented as per the spirit of the accord.
There has been an extension of existing boundaries of BTR and inclusion of more Bodo villages in contiguous areas to BTR, but only 60 villages are mentioned in Sonitpur and Biswanath districts, he said, adding that the matter has be discussed with the State Government. He also said that the notification of constituencies and Bodo villages and holding of election in BKWAC, release of fund for developmental activities in the areas of BKWAC were yet to be done. He further said that the withdrawal of cases and release of NDFB leaders, including founder chairman Ranjan Daimary, and expansion of the existing constituencies of BTC from 40 to 60 was also pending. The signatories of the BTR accord should sit together and discuss with the government to bring amicable solution to these remaining issues as early as possible.
Basumatary said that for intensive political solution, united political struggle was the only option and the Bodo political leaders should come under one roof by giving up their selfish political goals.
“We got defeated in the prestigious Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat by Naba Kr. Sarania in 2014 and 2019 who won the ST seat playing the O-Boro card. The same thing is going to happen in the 2024 parliamentary election,” he said and added that there should be a common consensus tribal candidate to regain the Kokrajhar constituency in 2024.
Basumatary said that they had high hopes from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for swift implementation of all clauses of the BTR accord in letter and spirit. At the same time, he appealed to the Chief Minister for his intervention regarding early notification of villages, constituencies and election in BKWAC, along with release of required fund.
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