The Government of Assam on Saturday signed two Memorandums of Settlement (MoS) with several Kuki and Hmar organisations at Dispur in Guwahati, in a move aimed at promoting peace, rehabilitation and development in their communities. The agreements were signed in the presence of Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu and cover the United Kukigam Defence Army (UKDA), Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), Kuki Liberation Organization/Kuki Liberation Army (KLO/KLA) and the Hmar Peoples’ Convention Democratic (HPC-D).
Officials said the MoS follow years of dialogue after these groups laid down arms in 2012 and entered Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with the state government. Multiple rounds of tripartite talks subsequently paved the way for the final settlement reached on Saturday.
Under the pact, the state will establish a Kuki Welfare and Development Council and a Hmar Welfare Development Council to serve Kuki- and Hmar-dominated areas. Each council will be headed by a chairman, with a deputy chairman, chief executive member, executive members and other nominated members; both councils will be headquartered in Guwahati. They will receive financial allocations from the state government and prepare development proposals to be submitted to the Transformation and Development Department for approval.
The MoS outlines a range of development initiatives intended to accelerate socio-economic progress in Kuki- and Hmar-inhabited areas while preserving cultural, linguistic and ethnic identities. The government has also committed to rehabilitating surrendered cadres under existing policies and to provide financial compensation to families of those who lost their lives during the conflict.
After the signing, Minister Ranoj Pegu said the councils would receive dedicated funds to implement community programmes and that efforts are underway to rehabilitate former members who surrendered arms and to bring back individuals still living in forest areas through dialogue. He added that the government plans education and training programmes in local languages and intends to establish new educational institutions in underserved regions.
Highlighting the broader peace process in Assam, Pegu noted a significant decline in militancy in recent years and pointed to multiple peace agreements signed by the Government of India and the Assam government with various groups, including United Liberation Front of Asom factions, which have led to the rehabilitation of more than 9,000 surrendered cadres. The state agreements were signed by Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Tewari of the Home and Political Department, with senior officials including former Special Additional Director General of Police (SB) Hiren Ch. Nath and Home and Political Department Secretary Masanda Pertin present.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-govt-signs-mos-with-kuki-hmar-groups-welfare-councils-planned.html
Category: Assam,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-03-16 00:00:00
