Centre to come to settlement with UPDS demanding statehood

Amid the rising clamour for statehood demands such as for Telangana, the Centre is expected to solve one such long-pending issue in Assam by signing a memorandum of settlement with the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), a militant outfit in Karbi Anglong district, on November 25.

To the Centre’s relief, which is finding itself increasingly surrounded by demands of statehood from various quarters, the UPDS has agreed to give up its demand for a separate state or state within the state of Assam and has instead agreed for expansion of rights to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

The move is expected to bring peace in the agitation hit region of Karbi Anglong district of Assam.

According to the new proposal, which is all set to go for the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) on Thursday, the new name of the KAAC will be Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC) the number of its elected members will be increased from the present 26 to 44 and from 4 nominated members to six.