GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday announced that the state government will introduce a bill to ban polygamy, proposing a minimum punishment of seven years in prison for offenders. The bill will be tabled on November 25, the opening day of the Assam Assembly’s winter session.
The announcement follows Sarma’s earlier statement that the upcoming session would see multiple legislations, including one targeting practices such as polygamy and what he described as “love jihad.”
The occasion also marked the expansion of the Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina Scheme, aimed at promoting girls’ education through monthly financial assistance. Under the revised scheme, Class XI students receive ₹1,000, first-year undergraduates ₹1,250, and first-year postgraduates and B.Ed students ₹2,500 per month for ten months.
Sarma said the scheme is yielding strong results. “Because of this initiative, enrolment rates have gone up and dropout rates among girls have dropped significantly compared to last year. This year, 3.5 lakh girls will benefit,” he said.
The twin announcements — a legal reform addressing polygamy and an educational scheme empowering young women — underscore the government’s broader agenda to tackle gender-related issues both socially and legislatively. With the winter session set to begin soon, attention now turns to how these proposals will take shape in the Assembly.
