GUWAHATI: The recommendations by the high power committee for implementation of Assam Accord’s Clause 6 were far from legal reality, said Assam’s senior cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The reaction came at a time when recently the Centre informed the Parliament that the report of the high power committee was still under scrutiny.

Almost a year has passed since a high-level committee presented its report on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord to the state government, but that document has yet to reach the Centre. The committee submitted its report in February 2020.

Sarma said, “There are several recommendations by the high power committee which are ‘unreal’ and far from the legal reality of the country. For instance, they have suggested for 100 percent reservation of indigenous communities of the state, whereas Supreme Court has already ruled that reservation reservations cannot exceed 50 percent.”

The minister commented, “Those were hardly recommendations but rather the expectations of the committee. The recommendations would have to be vetted by a legal committee.”

Sarma on the other hand added that the BJP-led government would implement Clause-6 following the Constitution and the Supreme Court rulings.

Earlier, alleging that the government was ‘sitting idle’ on the issue, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) who were part of the committee, had released the confidential report, saying that the public has the right to know the contents.

Clause 6 of the Assam Accord envisages the constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to the indigenous people of Assam to protect, preserve and promote the culture, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the greater Assamese community.

Read more : CM Sarma’s opinion on Clause 6 Committee’s report is groundless and baseless: Upamanyu Hazarika