Assam Cabinet approves bill to abolish Muslim marriages, divorce Act

Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet on Thursday approved a Bill to abolish the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules of 1935, which permitted underage marriages under specific conditions, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The Repealing Bill 2024 will be presented during the upcoming monsoon session of the Assembly.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet approved the abolition of the Act, and Thursday’s meeting authorised the Repealing Bill required to implement this decision.

"We have taken a significant step to ensure justice for our daughters and sisters by putting additional safeguards against child marriage," he posted on X, soon after chairing the meeting of Council of Ministers here.

"In the meeting of the #AssamCabinet today we have decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules 1935 vide the Assam Repealing Bill 2024," he added.

The CM said the decision to repeal it is aimed in bringing "parity in registration of marriage and divorce".

The Repealing Bill will be placed before the Assembly in the next Monsoon session for consideration, he said.

"The State Cabinet has also been directed that a suitable legislation be brought for registration of Muslim marriages in Assam, to be considered by the next session of Assembly," the CM added.

The Cabinet had approved the decision to repeal the Act on February 23, in a bid to end the social menace of child marriage in the state.

"This Act contained provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21, as required by law. This move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam," Sarma had posted on X then.

Opposition parties had decried the decision, terming it ‘discriminatory against the Muslims’ brought in to polarise voters in an election year.

Sharing other decisions of Thursday’s Cabinet meet, Sarma said it was decided to reduce VAT on CNG to 5 per cent, funds were approved for development of BTC areas, financial approval was given for key healthcare efforts and cabinet ministers mandated to visited Barak Valley every month.

To combat air pollution through the use of clean fuel, the Cabinet decided to reduce VAT on CNG from 14.5 per cent to 5 per cent, effective until March 31, 2027.

Additionally, funds were allocated for the development of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas, and financial approval was given for key healthcare initiatives. Cabinet ministers are now mandated to visit the Barak Valley every month.

The meeting approved a financial sanction of Rs 200 crore for the Assam Cancer Care Foundation to support the Assam Cancer Care Project for 2024-25. This project includes the establishment of 17 cancer care hospitals, expected to benefit around 30,000 patients annually, the CM said.

To ensure continued free-of-cost treatment for the poor, the Cabinet approved Rs 375 crore for the Mukhya Mantri Ayushman Asom Yojana (MMAAY) for 2024-25. Under MMAAY, families receive cashless medical benefits up to Rs 5 lakh per year, covering 36 lakh families.

The Cabinet also mandated that ministers visit the three Barak Valley districts every month for three days on a rotational basis to ensure the proper implementation of good governance initiatives.

The Cabinet approved release of Rs 401.50 crore to Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) as first instalment for the fiscal 2024-45 under the SOPD-G fund, the CM added.