The Assam Legislative Assembly is holding its session outside Guwahati for the first time in the state's history. The first day of the Budget session took place at the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) assembly in Kokrajhar on Monday.
Buses carrying Assam ministers and state legislators had departed for the BTC assembly early, where the Budget session’s inaugural day was held.
Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika remarked, “For the first time, under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, we are going to hold the assembly session in Kokrajhar. 15 years ago, there was a situation that the people of Kokrajhar wanted a separate state, but now they don’t want it and they are welcoming us... This is a great initiative. It will be continued.”
Deputy Speaker of Assam’s Assembly, Numal Momin, noted that the move would send a strong message of peace in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
“The message of all MLAs is that after the BJP government came, peace prevails in BTR, which was a disturbed area earlier. We are having this budget session and the Governor’s speech in Kokrajhar today. It will carry a very good message to the people of Assam and PM Modi’s dream of ‘Sabka sath sabka vikas, sabka vishwas sabka prayaas,’” said Momin.
BJP MLA Mrinal Saikia described the day as “great and historical for Assam.”
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“The Assam Assembly is going to be held in Kokrajhar...We’ll discuss the economic, socio-economic and all-round development of the six scheduled areas. It is very significant...It will give a great message to the entire people of Assam,” he said.
AIUDF MLA Karim Uddin Barbhuiya also praised the initiative.
“This is a good initiative. This is happening for the first time in India, where we are going out of the station and going to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area. Everyone will praise this step as BTC was an underdeveloped area. Earlier, there was insecurity in this area. Today it is in the mainstream. It will send a good message that the government is thinking about the development of the Bodo people,” said Barbhuiya.
Congress MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal called the session a “historical budget session” that would be held outside the capital.
“I think that will give a message to the people of the ‘sixth schedule’ area. Today’s one main discussion will be on the socio-economic and all-round development of the ‘sixth schedule’ area,” he said.
AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam noted that the session was indicative of the peaceful restoration taking place in the area.
“It is happening for the first time in the Assam Assembly, hosting the Assembly session outside the capital. It is one of the proofs shown by the government that earlier, the BTC area was a completely unraised area since 1985, but presently, peaceful restoration is going on there. Their demand was for a separate state, but now it will suit them that they are part of the mainstream,” said Islam.
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