First order of business as Himanta Biswa Sarma is sworn in again: Uniform Civil Code in Assam

“In the first meeting of the Cabinet, the party (BJP) manifesto has been adopted as the guiding principle for the government’s working for the next five years… On 26 May, the last day of the assembly, a Uniform Civil Code Bill will be presented in the House. Today, the Cabinet has approved the draft of the UCC Bill,” the CM said, adding that the proposed UCC Bill leaves the state’s tribal population outside its ambit.

The BJP’s election manifesto listed “implementation of the UCC” — excluding tribal communities and parts of the state protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution — as one of the party’s core promises. It had also promised laws against “land jihad” and “love jihad”, more evictions, more “pushbacks” of declared foreigners, and a ramp-up of existing welfare schemes.

Sarma said the core topics the proposed UCC Bill will deal with are “minimum age of marriage, no polygamy, property rights for women, live-in relationships, and compulsory registration of marriages”.

Regarding appointments to two lakh more government jobs — another key poll promise, Sarma said that the Cabinet has constituted a task force led by the Chief Secretary to chalk out a plan for the same within the next three months.

The CM said the Cabinet has also decided to roll out a set of austerity measures in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call earlier this week.

“For the next six months, the state government will not purchase any new vehicles, and no government minister, official or worker will travel abroad, even at their own expense,” the Assam CM announced.

Other similar announcements were downsizing of convoy fleets; an aimed cut in the state government’s expenses on petrol and diesel by 20 per cent as compared to last year; no purchase of foreign items by the government for the next six months; and no in-person government seminars and workshops for the next six months.