The Assam state cabinet has cleared a proposal seeking a comprehensive Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the devastating deluge that inundated Sivasagar and Charaideo districts earlier this year. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision following a cabinet meeting, noting that identifying the precise root causes behind the catastrophic flooding remains the primary objective. In another significant policy shift, the cabinet also resolved to enforce strict service termination for government personnel found guilty of polygamy, barring them from any prospective public employment.
State to Formalise Request for Federal Investigation
Providing details of the cabinet resolutions, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the state administration will dispatch a formal communication to the Central government within the coming 10 days to request the CBI probe. The inquiry will focus on uncovering the exact sequence of events and factors responsible for the unprecedented waterlogging in the two eastern Assam districts. The Chief Minister made it clear that the ultimate authority on whether to assign the probe to the premier central investigating agency remains with the Centre.
A few months ago, the swollen Dikhow river triggered extensive destruction across Charaideo, Sivasagar, and Jorhat districts, submerging wide swathes of inhabited territory. Statewide calculations indicate that Assam witnessed at least 108 flood-related fatalities this year. Alongside the human toll, the disaster inflicted severe structural damage upon dwellings, primary and secondary schools, arterial roads, river embankments, livestock shelters, local fisheries, and rural healthcare centres across the impacted belts.
Stringent Service Penalties for Polygamous Employees
Addressing administrative conduct, the cabinet approved key amendments to the Assam Service and Discipline Rules to introduce stringent punitive action against employees entering into multiple marriages. Under the newly endorsed provisions, any government servant established to be practising polygamy will face outright dismissal from government service. The penalty also carries a permanent disqualification from securing any future state government employment.
To formalise the disciplinary measure, the state cabinet incorporated Clause 6 under Rule 7 of the governing service rules. Sarma highlighted that this disciplinary mechanism will operate uniformly across all personnel irrespective of religious background, encompassing Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, aligned with the ongoing rollout of the Uniform Civil Code framework in the state.
Progress on the Uniform Civil Code Framework
The Assam Legislative Assembly had previously approved the Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill on May 27. The legislative statute is designed to standardise the statutory framework overseeing marriage registration, divorce proceedings, succession rights, and live-in arrangements regardless of religious denominations.
Providing an update on statutory progress, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Political Department Ajay Tewari had noted on October 13 that the foundational enactment had been forwarded to the Central government to seek presidential assent. Meanwhile, according to an official government notification, the state administration has set up a dedicated committee tasked with formulating the operational rules necessary for the structured implementation of the uniform civil code across Assam.
