'Separate autonomous councils to be constituted for indigenous Boro-rooted communities'

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: "The State Government has undertaken plan to constitute separate autonomous councils for the Boro rooted indigenous communities living in the Barak Valley. Moreover, the State Government has taken up positive steps to address the long-pending academic problems of Boro medium schools."

This was expressed by Manoranjan Basumatari, the president of United Boro People's Organization (UBPO), through a press communique sent to media on Tuesday in the wake of discussion held over the issues concerned with Dr. Ranoj Kumar Pegu, State Education and Welfare of Plain Tribe & Backward Classes (non-BTC) Minister.

A delegation of UBPO, led by president Manoranjan Basumatari, general secretary Pitambar Brahma, submitted a memorandum with 11 demands to Dr. Ranoj Kumar Pegu on Sunday night and held discussion with him regarding the demands. According to the press communiqué, Dr. Ranoj Kumar Pegu informed the UBPO delegation that the State Government had taken steps to resolve the problem with regard to shortage of teachers in Boro medium schools along with other allied problems. As part of such steps, teaching will be conducted in the Boro medium schools by engaging educated youths with the payment of due remuneration in view of addressing the shortage of the teachers concerned.

On the other hand, the minister, while holding discussion over the problems of several Boro rooted indigenous communities, informed the UBPO delegation that the State Government had initiated plan to constitute separate autonomous council for the Riang, Bru, Kok, Borok, Mar, Barman, Kachari living in Barak Valley, the press communiqué further stated.

By submitted the memorandum to the minister, the UBPO demanded the grant of permanent land pattas (settlement) to the indigenous Bodo Kachari Tribe (ST) families under the provision of Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 with immediate effect, inclusion of the Boro Kachari people living within Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao Autonomous Districts of Assam in the List of ST (Hills) as per the clause No. 6 of the Bodo Peace Accord, 2020 which is popularly known as the BTR Accord, 2020, grant of Boro Cultural Research Centre under the administrative jurisdiction of the Boro Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) for promoting cultural and social ethics and its uplift, special grants for establishing educational institutions in BKWAC run by the State and Union governments, provincialization of the Boro Medium LP, ME and High Schools in the State, creation of the post for subject teachers in the Boro MIL at the Higher Secondary School level in the State, creation of adequate number of lecturer posts in Boro Department at all provincialized and deficit colleges under all the State universities on need basis, an arrangement for special TET for the Boro medium Students of the State, declaration on the flood and erosion problem of Assam as national disaster and to take scientific measures to resolve permanently the flood and erosion problems, intervention of the Union Government and the State Governments concerned jointly in the matter of exploration of ways and means to bring

about suitable solution of the vexed Assam-Nagaland, Assam-Arunachal Pradesh, Assam-Mizoram and Assam-Meghalaya inter-state border disputes, among other demands.

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