Guwahati, May 13: The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday approved the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state during the first cabinet meeting of the newly formed government, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announcing that a bill will be introduced in the Assembly on May 26.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Sarma said the proposed UCC in Assam has been “customised” to protect tribal communities and preserve religious customs and traditions.
“All tribal people in Assam, both in the hills and plains, will remain outside the purview of the UCC. Religious rituals, customs and traditions will also be exempted,” the Chief Minister said.
According to the government, the proposed legislation will cover issues such as the minimum age of marriage, compulsory registration of marriages and divorces, abolition of polygamy, inheritance rights for women and regulation of live-in relationships.
Sarma said Assam’s model differs from those adopted in states like Uttarakhand, Goa and Gujarat, as it includes safeguards for indigenous and tribal communities.
The Cabinet also decided that the BJP’s election manifesto for Assam would serve as the “guiding principle” for governance over the next five years.
“The manifesto will form the foundation on which government policies will be framed,” Sarma said.
In another key decision, the Cabinet approved the formation of a task force headed by the Chief Secretary to prepare a roadmap for generating two lakh jobs in the next five years, in line with the BJP’s poll promise.
The government also announced a series of austerity measures amid global economic uncertainty linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
The Cabinet decided not to purchase new government vehicles for the next six months and imposed restrictions on foreign travel by government officials during the same period, except in medical emergencies.
The state will also reduce expenditure on fuel for government vehicles by 20 per cent over the next year, scale down VIP convoys based on security assessments, avoid procurement of foreign-made products for six months and prioritise hiring electric vehicles for official use.
Additionally, offline seminars and workshops funded by the government will be suspended for six months, while old government vehicles will be scrapped.
The Cabinet further approved the construction of a ₹32-crore museum dedicated to Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika in Guwahati and decided to hold the concluding ceremony of his birth centenary celebrations in New Delhi.
Sarma also indicated that the expansion of the Assam Cabinet is likely to take place in the first week of June after the conclusion of the first Assembly session of the new government, scheduled to begin on May 21.
 in the state during the first cabinet meeting of the newly formed government, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announcing that a bill will be introduced in the Assembly on May 26.){kind=link}