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Assam Government to Table UCC Bill on May 26, Says Himanta Biswa Sarma

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Guwahati
  • May 13, 2026
  • 327

Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that the Assam government will introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in the Assembly on May 26, the final day of the inaugural session of the newly elected House.

Speaking to reporters after the first Cabinet meeting of the new government, the Chief Minister confirmed that the state Cabinet has approved the draft UCC Bill. The Assembly session is scheduled to be held on May 21, 22, 25, and 26 and will include the swearing-in of newly elected MLAs along with the Governor’s address.

“The Assam Cabinet has decided to introduce the UCC Bill on the last day of the Assembly session on May 26. The state Cabinet has approved the draft of the UCC,” Sarma stated.

According to the Chief Minister, the proposed legislation will address issues related to succession, marriage, live-in relationships, compulsory marriage registration, and divorce. He added that the framework of the Bill would be largely aligned with models adopted in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Goa.

However, Sarma clarified that Assam’s tribal communities, along with their customs, rituals, and traditional practices, would remain exempt from the provisions of the proposed law.

“Basically, the UCC will deal with succession, marriage, live-in relationship, compulsory registration of marriage and divorce. It will be almost in sync with Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Goa. However, we have completely exempted the tribal population and customs, rituals and traditions of Assam because we have different communities and different customs,” he said.

The Chief Minister further stated that the BJP government has formally adopted the party’s election manifesto as the governance roadmap for the next five years.

Sarma also informed that the opening session of the Assembly will primarily focus on oath-taking ceremonies for legislators. The government has requested the Governor to appoint senior BJP leader Chandra Mohan Patowary as the Protem Speaker.

Following the oath-taking ceremony, elections for the Speaker’s post will be conducted. Sarma said the NDA has nominated Ranjeet Kumar Dass as its candidate for the Speaker’s position.

The Chief Minister added that the expansion of the Cabinet would take place after the Assembly session and that ministerial portfolios are yet to be finalised.

Assam CM Praises West Bengal’s Border Fencing Decision

Meanwhile, Sarma also welcomed the West Bengal Cabinet’s decision to provide land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, calling it a crucial step for the security of both the state and the North East region.

Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Sarma stressed the need for strict monitoring and complete sealing of the India-Bangladesh border to curb infiltration.

“Our fight against infiltration always faced a problem because there was a huge gap in fencing between Bangladesh and West Bengal,” he claimed.

Sarma pointed out that five Indian states — Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, and West Bengal — share borders with Bangladesh. Among them, Assam has the shortest border stretch, while West Bengal has the longest.

He said the West Bengal Cabinet has decided to hand over land to the BSF within 45 days to facilitate fencing across an 800-km stretch of the India-Bangladesh border.