Announcing the Cabinet decisions, Chief Minister Sarma said the proposed Uniform Civil Code in Assam has been specifically customised to safeguard tribal communities and preserve religious customs and traditions. He clarified that all tribal communities living in both hill and plain regions of Assam would remain outside the purview of the law. Religious rituals, customs and traditional practices will also be exempted from the proposed legislation.
According to the Chief Minister, the proposed law will address several civil and social issues, including the minimum legal age of marriage, compulsory registration of marriages and divorces, abolition of polygamy, inheritance rights for women and regulation of live-in relationships.
The Assam government stated that the proposed Uniform Civil Code differs from similar laws implemented in states such as Uttarakhand, Goa and Gujarat because it includes provisions aimed at protecting indigenous and tribal communities.
In another significant decision, the Cabinet declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election manifesto for Assam would serve as the guiding framework for governance over the next five years. The government also approved the formation of a task force headed by the Chief Secretary to prepare a roadmap for generating two lakh jobs within five years, fulfilling a major election promise made by the ruling party.
Amid growing global economic uncertainty linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict, the Assam government also announced a series of austerity measures aimed at reducing expenditure and conserving resources.
The Cabinet decided that no new government vehicles would be purchased for the next six months. Restrictions on foreign travel by government officials were also imposed for the same duration, except in cases involving medical emergencies.
Additionally, the state government will reduce fuel expenditure for official vehicles by 20 per cent over the next year. VIP convoys will be scaled down following security assessments, while procurement of foreign-made products will remain suspended for six months. The government will also prioritise the hiring of electric vehicles for official use.
The Cabinet further announced that government-funded offline seminars and workshops would remain suspended for six months. Old government vehicles will also be scrapped as part of the administration’s cost-cutting and resource-management strategy.
The decisions mark the beginning of the new government’s second term with a strong focus on legal reform, economic discipline, administrative restructuring and employment generation, while simultaneously attempting to balance political commitments with protections for Assam’s indigenous and tribal communities.
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