Member of All Rabha Students’ Union, All Rabha Women’s Council and Sixth Schedule Demand Committee at a mass rally in Dudhnoi, 93km from Guwahati, on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Nov. 27: Dispur has decided to constitute a committee to prepare electoral rolls and demarcate the constituencies of non-Sixth Schedule councils in the state, which is likely to also include areas which are under consideration for Sixth Schedule status.

A cabinet sub-committee is examining the possibility of granting Sixth Schedule status to some of these councils.

Minister for the welfare of plains tribes and other backward communities Pramila Rani Brahma today said the demarcation of the constituencies and preparation of electoral rolls were necessitated since the government has decided to hold elections to the Tiwa, Rabha and Hajong autonomous councils by March next year.

The state election commission today announced the notification for the three-phase panchayat elections in the state to be held on December 31, January 4 and January 9.

The results will be announced on January 12.

Deputy commissioners of the districts under which these councils fall, local legislators and representatives of the Tiwa, Rabha and Hajong communities will be part of the committee.

Rejecting the demands by some of the students’ organisations not to hold panchayat elections in the areas under these councils before holding the council elections, Brahma said the state government was bound by the Constitution to hold the panchayat elections there.

She said a committee headed by advocate general Amrit Kumar Phukan said that since these councils are state subjects, the state government could not “over read” its constitutional obligation of holding panchayat elections there.

On the demand that these councils be included within the Sixth Schedule, Brahma said the cabinet sub-committee, under the chairmanship of revenue minister Bhumidhar Barman was looking into it.

“As soon as we get the recommendation of the committee, my department will forward the same to the Centre for necessary action,” she said.

The All Tiwa Students’ Union has set March as the deadline for the government to hold the council elections and grant the Sixth Schedule status to the Tiwa council.

President of the students’ organisation, Prahlad Kumar Masrang, said the union had made its demand clear during a meeting with chief minister Tarun Gogoi at his official residence last evening. He said the government had agreed to fulfil its demands.