Delivering on the BJP poll promise that said the party will work towards implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), excluding the 6th Schedule areas and tribals, while ensuring the traditional rights of ethnic communities, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Assam cabinet decided to introduce the UCC Bill on the last day of the state assembly session, May 26.
The first session of the 16th Assam assembly is likely to be held for three days from May 21, during which newly elected MLAs will take the oath.
The CM said the state cabinet has approved the draft of the UCC.
He clarified that the UCC will deal with marriage, live-in relationships, and compulsory registration of marriage, including 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 in Assam we have different communities, different customs," the chief minister said, according to news agency PTI.
Earlier in the day, Sarma asserted that the government's focus would be on delivering the promises made in the BJP's election manifesto.
"The time for speeches is over with the end of the elections. People now expect work from us," he said.
Speaking about the expansion of his ministry, Sarma said the exercise would be undertaken after the conclusion of the assembly session.
"The government will function with a positive approach, keeping the security and development of Assam, the Assamese people and the nation as its primary goal," he said.
"This is not a new government, but a continuation of the earlier one. We will continue to work wholeheartedly," the CM added.
