KOKRAJHAR, Dec 15 - The fourth Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was constituted on Tuesday with the swearing in of five members of the BJP-UPPL-GSP combine and UPPL�s Pramod Boro assuming charge as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the autonomous body.
The members were administered the oath of office by Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua at the Green Field Ground in Bodofa Nwgwr, the headquarters of BTC.
Besides Boro, the second person to be sworn in as the BTC chief, the others who took oath were Deputy CEM Gobinda Basumatary of the United People�s Party Liberal (UPPL), and executive members Gautam Das and Diganta Barua (both from the BJP) and Ghanashyam Das of Gana Suraksha Party (GSP).
Boro took oath in Bodo language while the others did it in Assamese.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Bhabesh Kalita, Lok Sabha members Dilip Saikia, who is also the BJP�s national general secretary, Pallab Lochan Das and Naba Sarania, Rajya Sabha members Bhubaneswar Kalita and UG Brahma were present in the swearing-in ceremony.
CEMs of Karbi, Dimasa and Mising autonomous councils, Bodo Sahitya Sabha president Taren Boro and a host of other dignitaries were also present in the ceremony. The outgoing BTC CEM Hagrama Mohilary of Bodo People�s Front (BPF) was conspicuous by his absence on the occasion.
After taking oath, Boro thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Sonowal and Sarma for paving the way for peace and development in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) with the signing of a new Bodo Accord in January this year.
Stating that violence had taken several lives in the BTR, the new BTC chief said that from now onwards there will exist an ambience of peace and prosperity, friendship and brotherhood. He also said that the 2.40 lakh homeless people living in the BTR would be given houses, besides drinking water. Good quality roads in all BTR areas would also be a priority, he added.
Earlier in the morning, Boro paid homage to the �Father of the Bodo� Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma, a former president of the All Bodo Students� Union (ABSU), before taking oath as the new BTC chief.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal exuded confidence that Pramod Boro-led council would script �never-before success� in socioeconomic development of the BTR areas. Paying rich tributes to the Bodofa, Sonowal said this great personality discovered the hidden potential of the Bodos.
Sonowal also thanked all sections of the voters for electing the new members and said the new BTC chief would be able to make BTR free from insurgency and corruption, while strengthening the harmonious coexistence of all the people in the region. He also expressed the confidence that the new Bodo Accord would bolster peace and development in the region.
Stating that development of a region depends on cooperation of all stakeholders, Sonowal requested the UPPL, BJP and GSP to work unitedly for peace and prosperity of the BTR. He also requested BPF supremo Hagrama Mohilary to extend all cooperation to the new team.
Assuring government help to the new council to expedite development of the region, the Chief Minister observed that from now onwards there will not be any impediment for the indigenous people to sell or purchase land.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Bodo Accord would be conducive to fulfil the aims and aspirations of the people of Bodo areas. �Peace brings prosperity and development creates new horizon of possibilities... The new accord will bring about equal development of all people living in the BTR fulfilling the dream of the Bodofa,� he said.
Stating that the present State government has taken a series of steps for the development of the BTR, Sarma announced that in the coming days, steps will be taken to set up new educational institutions, new stadium, campus of Bodoland University at Udalguri, medical college at Tamulpur and colleges in each of the 40 constituencies in the BTR.
