The Assam Cabinet on December 30 passed the Assam Official Language Amendment Bill and declared Bodo as an associate official language of the state.

The bill was introduced on the floor of the Assembly by Assam parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on behalf of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Earlier the cabinet in its meeting chaired by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, approved the Assam Official Language Amendment Bill for making Bodo an associate official language of the state.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA from North Karimganj constituency, Kamalakhya Dey demanded Bengali language should also be declared as an associate official language across Assam.

However, Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Bengali is an established and well-recognised Indian language, spoken by a large number of people in the country.

He said there is no need to recognize Bengali as an official language in Assam as it is already an official language in the Barak Valley.