Assam, Dec 30: The Assam assembly on Wednesday passed a bill to abolish all state-run Madrasas by converting them to general schools amid a walkout by the opposition when their demand for sending the legislation to the Select Committee was rejected.
After Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma turned down the request of the Congress and the AIUDF members to send The Assam Repealing Bill, 2020 to a Select Committee to have a “proper discussion” on the issue, Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami placed the Bill for a voice vote.
After witnessing a noisy scene, the Bill was passed with a majority. Members of all alliance partners of the BJP the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) — supported the government move.
The Bill proposes to abolish two existing acts — The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1995 and The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation of Services of Employees and Re-Organisation of Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018.
“I feel this is going to be a gift to the minority community. The students studying in those madrasas will hail the decision after 10 years,” Sarma said, replying to the opposition members’ objections.
As per the Bill, all madrasas will be converted to upper primary, high, and higher secondary schools with effect from April 1 next the year with no change of status, pay, allowances, and service conditions of the teaching and non-teaching staff.
The three-day winter session of the Assam assembly commenced on Monday, following Covid-19 protocols. Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he will introduce a bill to repeal the provincial station of Madrassas.
According to reports, around 12 government bills — including ‘The Assam Repealing Bill, 2020’ (repeal provisions of Madrassa and Sanskrit Tolls in the state), Assam Education (Provincialisation of Services of Non-Teaching Staff of Venture Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Moran Autonomous Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Matak Autonomous Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Kamatapur Autonomous Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council Bill, 2020, The Assam Micro Finance Institutions (Regulation of Money Lending) Bill, 2020 — are likely to be tabled in the winter session of the state assembly.
