Guwahati, Feb 12 (IANS): The Assam government is planning to bring a robust legislation banning polygamy and for the implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.

Sarma told reporters here that although the Assam government was originally going to introduce a Bill outlawing polygamy, it is now also considering harmonising the matter with the UCC after Uttarakhand brought a legislation on the same subject.

“The polygamy Bill and the UCC were both discussed by the Assam Cabinet on Saturday. We were planning to implement a law to ban polygamy; however, Uttarakhand recently approved the UCC Bill. We are currently attempting to align both of these concerns in order to draft a strong legislation,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister said that a committee of experts will look into how polygamy and UCC might be included in the same law.

The UCC Bill passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly prohibits polygamy and designates it as a civil violation.

“We considered establishing polygamy as a criminal offence. We will align these since a unified policy is needed for the nation. I shall discuss the best course of action with our central leadership in order to address the issue,” Sarma said.