The Assam Congress has accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of making “misleading statements” in the Assembly, particularly regarding the Centre’s financial responsibility toward tribal areas. The party urged Sarma to refrain from making such claims and called for greater transparency in governance. Addressing a press conference, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia alleged that the chief minister misrepresented facts about the Centre’s obligations under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. “The Constitution mandates the Central government to provide funds for Sixth Schedule areas. However, the chief minister stated in the Assembly that New Delhi is not bound to allocate any money, which is incorrect,” Saikia said.
The Sixth Schedule provides special administrative provisions for tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. Saikia argued that the Centre is constitutionally committed to funding these areas, contrary to Sarma’s statement on the first day of the Budget session. The Congress leader also pointed to discrepancies in the financial package for the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). According to Saikia, a special package of ₹1,500 crore was announced under the 2020 Bodo peace accord, but the Centre has not disbursed the full amount. As a result, the state government has had to contribute its share to cover the shortfall. “The special package is supposed to be released over nine years, with both the Centre and the state paying ₹250 crore each every three years,” he explained.
Additionally, Saikia called for financial transparency in BTR, alleging corruption in the region’s accounts. He also dismissed Sarma’s claim that he was the first chief minister to stay overnight in BTR headquarters, Kokrajhar, multiple times. “That is a misleading statement. Kokrajhar district was formed under the Congress government, and previous chief ministers have regularly visited the area,” he asserted. The Congress leader further criticized Sarma’s remarks on the development of tea tribes, refuting claims that past governments had neglected their welfare. “Legislations for the protection of tea garden workers, including provisions for provident fund benefits, were enacted during Congress governments. Education infrastructure in tea gardens was also strengthened under our tenure,” Saikia said.