Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) will be extended by including at least 60 new villages from Sonitpur district.

Himanta Biswa Sarma while speaking at the Republic Day speech on Thursday said, “As part of promises made in the Bodo peace pact signed in January 2020, our government has decided to include villages which have at least 80 percent Bodo population in the BTR.”

“These villages will be from the areas of Dhekiajuli, Sootea, Biswanath, Behali and Gohpur in Assam. Out of the 60 new villages of Sonitpur to be included in the BTR, 43 will be revenue villages and 13 forest villages,” the chief minister said.

The Bodo Accord was signed between the Central Government as well as the fractions of the militant outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland allowed for the addition of all villages near the recognised BTR region with a majority of people belonging to the Bodo community, to be added into the region.

Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Pramod Boro has welcomed the announcement by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The chief minister also announced an ex-gratia amounting to Rs 5 lakhs to the families of each of the 2001 martyrs who lost their lives in the Bodoland agitation. He also announced that from now on, March 31 will be celebrated as Students' Day in the state of Assam in memory of Upendranath Brahma, popularly known as the Father of the Bodos.