NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday reconstituted a high-level committee to assess the quantum of seats to be reserved in the Assam Assembly and local bodies for the Assamese people, besides providing other safeguards to protect the culture of Assam.
The high-level committee, to be headed by former Gauhati High Court judge Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma (retd), was set up as per the Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord, MHA said.
According to the Terms of Reference for the Committee, it will examine the effectiveness of actions taken since 1985 to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, hold discussions with various stakeholders, including social organisations, legal and constitutional experts, eminent persons from the field of art and literature, economists, linguists and sociologists.
“The committee will assess the appropriate level of reservation of seats in Assam Assembly and local bodies for the Assamese people. The committee will also suggest measures to be taken to protect Assamese and other indigenous languages of Assam,” the MHA notification said.
Citizenship Bill protest scuttled earlier panel
The committee had to be reconstituted as the earlier one announced on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections could not function as most of the members had refused to be part of it in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill.