The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Monday provided more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

Additional subjects such as rural electrification, non-conventional energy sources, solar energy, renewable energy and mini-hydel projects will come under the Council's power, besides its existing realm of protection of social, cultural and linguistic identities of the community.

This agreement; signed between the central, state governments and Bodo groups, will end a nearly 50-year-old discord, according to an official statement. These groups were demanding a separate Bodoland state.

The will bring the armed resistance groups like NDFB-Progressive, NDFB - Ranjan Daimary, NDFB-Saoraigwra and more than1,500 of its armed fighters to the mainstream, the government said in a statement.

The central and state governments, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), factions of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) such as Gobindo Basumatary faction, Dhirendra Bodo faction, Ranjan Daymari faction and Saoraigwra faction and the United Bodo Peoples Organization (UBPO) were the party to the 2020 agreement.

A package of Rs 1,500 crore over three years will be earmarked for the development of Bodo region. The agreement will provide more legislative, executive, administrative and financial powers to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

According to the government, the 2020 agreement is a landmark one as it brings together the various stakeholders of the Bodoland movement, including both the armed groups and civil society groups.

The agreement will also cover the complete rehabilitation of the NDFB cadres as well as ensure the protection of land rights of tribals in the region. A commission will be appointed under Article 14 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, with representatives from state government, ABSU and Bodoland Territorial Council to look into issues related to population and area within Bodoland Territorial Area Districts(BTAD).

The #Bodo Peace Accord has full support of Assam government led by HCM @sarbanandsonwal & Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Sri Hagrama Mohilary, making it full and final solution to the over decades old Bodo issue. Thank all those who made this historic Accord possible.

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 27, 2020

A Bodo Kachari Welfare Council will be formed to look into the concerns of Bodos’ living outside BTAD. The Assam government will notify Bodo language as the associate official language in the state and will set up a separate directorate for Bodo medium schools.

A separate DIG post will also be created for BTAD region. Compensation of Rs 5 lakh will be provided to those who were killed during the Bodoland movement.

The government had signed agreements with Bodo groups earlier too. But, 1993 and 2003 agreements were not able to find a lasting solution to the Bodoland issue.

In 2003, under the leadership of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, an agreement was worked out with the Bodo Liberation Tigers, which led to the creation of Bodoland Territorial Council and Bodoland Territorial Area Districts with four districts.

First Published:Jan 27, 2020 5:04 PM IST