GUWAHATI, Feb 15 � Seven years have passed since the Centre and State Government signed a memorandum of settlement (MoS) with Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) for creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) under the provisions of the amended Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, but some of the clauses of the MoS are yet to be fulfilled. Moreover, the funding pattern to the BTC is creating problems as a result of which, the ruling Bodoland People�s Front (BPF) has revived the demand for creation of a separate state.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, the Deputy Chief of the BTC, Khampa Borgoyari said that one of the clauses of the MoS yet to be fully implemented is withdrawal of cases against the former BLT members. He said that though the Assam Cabinet took a decision to withdraw the cases and some of the cases have been withdrawn, former BLT members are still receiving notices from courts and all the cases have not been withdrawn.
Borgoyari said that the Bodo people living in Karbi Along are yet to get the status of ST (Hills) as per the MoS and the Central and State governments are yet to take effective steps in this regard. In fact, the State Government is yet to submit a proposal to the Centre in this regard.
The third major point, which is yet to be implemented, is construction of a national highway along the international border from Jamduar in West Bengal to Bhairabkunda in Udalguri district. Borgoyari said that construction of the highway is necessary for improving communication network in the BTC area but the Central Government is yet to initiate the process of construction of the highway.
The BTC Deputy Chief said that the Council has demanded direct funding by the Government of India instead of routing the same through the State Government. As per the MoS, the Centre promised to provide a special development grant of Rs 100 crore a year for a period of five years to the BTC and after the completion of five years, the Centre agreed to provide Rs 50 crore a year for another five years. But Borgoyari alleged that very often the State Government did not release the money on time, which seriously affected implementation of various projects. He also said that the BTC has to submit proposals for Centrally-sponsored schemes to the Centre through the Planning and Development Department of the Assam Government but very often, the delay in clearance of the proposals by the State Government slowed down the whole process. He said that the BTC had already demanded that the Central Ministries should accept proposals directly from the BTC instead of routing the same through the State Government. He further said that the Planning Commission should prepare a formula for making budgetary allocation to the BTC as in recent times, the budgetary allocation made by the State Government was much less than the requirement.
Commenting on the allegation of misappropriation of funds by the BTC, Borgoyari said that the BTC had requested the State Government to conduct an audit by the Accountant General (AG) into the utilisation of funds by the councils. �On our own we approached the AG but we were told that the AG audit is possible only if the State Government issues instructions,� he added.
On utilisation of rural development funds, the BTC Deputy Chief said that the Sixth Schedule areas had not been brought under the Panchayati Raj system, which affected rural development and even the Deputy Commissioners were not under the BTC. He said that to ensure proper utilisation of the rural development funds, the BTC area should be brought under the Panchayati Raj system, may be with some modifications.
Borgoyari asserted that the BTC should not be blamed for the deterioration of the law and order-situation as it was the responsibility of the State Government to deal with law and order. If the State Government dailed to take effective steps to deal with the law and order-situation in the BTC, the powers to deal with the same should be handed over to the Council, he asserted.
Borgoyari asserted that the failure of the Government to maintain law and order and the problems faced by the Council in getting funds on time were some of the main reasons for revival of the demand for creation of a separate state of Bodoland.
