Clause-VI of Assam Accord: Legal experts' panel to examine report of high-level committee

GUWAHATI: The Assam government has decided to constitute a panel of legal experts for examining the recommendations of the high-level committee on the implementation of Clause-VI of Assam Accord. Sources informed that the panel may be headed by a retired justice of either the Supreme Court or the High Court.

The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting between Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Union Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on September 20. State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was also present on that occasion.

The legal experts' views will be necessary as implementation of the high-level committee's recommendations would necessitate amendment of certain sections of the Constitution of India. Sources added that the legal experts will submit their observations to the Assam government. Then the State government will append its comments to the observations and forward the same to the Central government.

The high-level committee submitted its report to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati on February 25. The Chief Minister received the sealed report on behalf of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The 14-member committee is headed by Justice (retd) Biplab Kumar Sharma.

For the implementation of Clause-VI of the historic Assam Accord, the Union Home Ministry (MHA) constituted the high-level committee on July 15, 2019.

The Clause-VI of the Assam Accord envisages Constitutional, legislative and administrative measures to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

Talking to The Sentinel, one of the members of the high-level committee on Clause-VI and general secretary of AASU (All Assam Students Union), Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, "The State government must immediately form the committee of legal experts. Already much valuable time has been wasted since the submission of the report."