Key highlights of the Clause VI report

AASU and Niloy Dutta, two members of the high powered Clause VI committee today released the Clause 6 report that suggests measures for the protection of the indigenous people of Assam, five months after it was submitted to the Government.

The report was prepared in consultation with 500 organizations and individuals was submitted by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to the central government on February 25 which was undersigned on February 10 this year.

"We do not know where the report is? Is it in the chief minister's almirah or somewhere? Has it been sent to Delhi? It is not acceptable to neglect the report this way," AASU's chief advisor Dr. Samujjal Bhattacharya said.

The core proposal of the report suggested that the Assam Accord must be fully implemented in a time-bound manner, so as to facilitate detection, deletion, and deportation of foreigners in Assam. However, even after five months of submission, the report wasn't released.

Key Highlights Of The Clause VI Report:

• Assamese language shall continue to be the Official Language of Assam as per the provisions of the Assam Official Language Act, 1960 throughout the State with appropriate provisions for use of local languages in Barak Valley, Hill Districts and BTAD.
• Mandatory provision of an Assamese language paper should be made applicable for recruitment in State government services with alternatives for Barak Valley, Hill Districts and BTAD regions.
• Prompt and adequate measures to be adopted to completely seal the Indo-Bangladesh Border in the line of Indo-Pakistan Border.
• Till deportation of post 1971 stream of declared foreigners is completed, they should be resettled in areas outside the State of Assam, as an interim measure.
• 80% to 100% of seats in Parliament, Assembly Legislative Assembly and Local Bodies which are allotted to the state of Assam should be reserved for the Assamese people.
• Making of adequate provisions for an Upper House (Legislative Council of Assam) and all seats thereof to be reserved for the upper house.
• Government should take immediate steps to prevent decrease of prime agricultural lands. There has to be complete ban on transfer of such land for non-agricultural purposes.
• All Tribal Belt and Block Lands should be exempted for the provisions of the Assam State Capital Regional Development Authority, 2017.
• State Government must devise schemes in the line with the "Small Tea Garden" revolution in the fields of Agri/Horti/Pisciclture and Animal Husbandry etc, which would restrain the Assamese people from transferring their land to others.
• Statutory provisions prohibiting transfer of tea land for any other use without permission of the State Government must be enforced.
• In connection to ILP, adequate measures as suggested in Annexure V, p.132 for creation of enabling provisions in respect of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system.
• 80% to 100% of Group C and D level posts in Central Government and Semi-Central Government/ Central PSUs/ Private Sector including under PPP Mode falling and arising in Assam should be reserved for Assamese people.
• 80% to 100% of jobs under Government of Assam undertakings and 70% and 100% of vacancies arising in private partnerships including PPP mode in State of Assam shall be reserved for Assamese people.
• Constitution of Autonomous Language and Literature Academy/Council and an Autonomous Institute/ Council of Assam and statutory status should be given to protect, preserve and promote all indigenous languages of Assam
• The Assam State Biodiversity Board should be strengthened with sufficient financial assistance from both Central and State government for effective functioning and taking up measures for consideration of the biodiversity of Assam.
• Special assistance from the Central Government as well as from the State Government shall be extended to traditional industries of Assam such as i) Weaving industry of Sualkuchi ii)  Bell metal Industry of SARTHEBARI AND Hajo etc by declaring thema as Heritage Industries of the state.
• Organisations like Jyoti Chitraban Film Society, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute, Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra etc.  shall be provided with adequate funds to augment infrastructure.