Assam CM Proposes 20% Salary Cut for Government Employees Who Abandon First Wife Without Divorce
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday announced a significant social reform measure aimed at protecting abandoned women. Speaking at the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Khanapara Playground in Guwahati, he proposed that government employees who abandon their first wife without obtaining a legal divorce and enter into an informal marriage or relationship with another woman will face a 20 per cent deduction from their salary. The deducted amount will be deposited directly into the first wife’s bank account upon her application to the government, enabling her to live with dignity.
Sarma explained that the decision stemmed from interactions with many women whose husbands had disowned them. “I interacted with many women whose husbands disowned them. Many were government employees who entered into informal relationships without divorcing their first wives. We have decided that, on the first wife’s complaint, 20% of the employee’s salary will be transferred to her so that she can live with dignity,” he said. The Chief Minister added that the government is also proposing legislation to extend similar financial protection to women whose husbands work in the private sector.
The announcement formed part of a wider Independence Day address in which Sarma outlined his vision for a peaceful, self-reliant and opportunity-driven Assam focused on development, social reform, economic empowerment and inclusive growth. He positioned the measure under the broader theme of social justice and women’s protection, while reiterating the state’s continuing fight against child marriage. The practice, he noted, deprives children of their childhood, education and future opportunities. Over the past five years, more than 11,000 people have been arrested in Assam in connection with child marriage cases, and he indicated that further drives would continue.
This salary-deduction proposal builds on Assam’s aggressive push against polygamy and related social practices in recent years. In November 2025, the Assam Assembly passed the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, which proposes imprisonment of up to seven years for those convicted of polygamy and up to ten years for concealing a previous marriage. Parents, priests or village heads who fail to report such marriages can also face liability for abetment. In May 2026, the Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (Assam) Bill, making Assam the third state after Uttarakhand and Gujarat to enact such legislation. The UCC seeks a common framework for marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships across religions (while excluding Scheduled Tribes), explicitly prohibits polygamy, mandates registration of live-in relationships, and prescribes penalties including up to seven years’ imprisonment for bigamy or polygamy.
Further tightening came in the 2026-27 state budget presented in July. Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announced that men practising polygamy would be ineligible for benefits under government welfare schemes. The government also proposed amending the Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964, so that government employees found practising polygamy could face dismissal. Sarma had earlier stated that polygamy has no place in Assamese society and that those indulging in it would be barred from government schemes and benefits.
The new 20 per cent salary measure addresses a specific gap: cases where a government employee does not formally divorce the first wife but effectively abandons her and forms a new informal relationship. In such situations, the first wife often faces prolonged legal battles for maintenance under existing laws while remaining financially vulnerable. By creating an administrative route triggered by her application, the proposal aims to provide relatively quick financial support without requiring her to wait for the conclusion of court proceedings. The deducted portion is intended as a direct transfer to her account, offering a measure of economic security and dignity.
Under Indian law, bigamy is already a criminal offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for those governed by the Hindu Marriage Act and certain other personal laws. However, personal laws for different communities have historically created variations in how polygamy is treated, and enforcement has often been uneven. Assam’s sequence of legislative and administrative steps seeks to create a stricter, more uniform deterrent while providing practical relief to affected women. The salary deduction for government employees is particularly significant because the state is a major employer, and public servants are expected to uphold higher standards of conduct.
Implementation details will be crucial. The government will need to finalise the process for verifying applications, establishing the existence of abandonment and an informal second relationship, and ensuring the deduction and transfer mechanism works smoothly through the salary disbursement system. Questions around the duration of the deduction, the rights of any children from the first marriage, and safeguards against misuse will likely be addressed in the formal rules or legislation that follows. Extending the protection to the private sector through separate legislation will require additional legal and administrative frameworks, possibly involving coordination with employers or labour authorities.
Sarma’s Independence Day speech also covered ambitious development goals. He announced plans for Rs 1.5 lakh crore in capital expenditure and infrastructure investment between 2026 and 2031, combining state resources of about Rs 50,000 crore with an expected Rs 1 lakh crore from the Centre. The funds are intended for roads, schools, rural and urban infrastructure, and other projects as Assam aims to become a developed state by 2047 in line with the national Viksit Bharat vision. He highlighted that Assam’s economy has nearly tripled over the past decade and pointed to emerging strengths such as the planned Tata semiconductor facility. Other announcements included new co-districts, land rights measures for long-term residents in certain areas, support for tea garden families, and continued focus on youth, agriculture and healthcare.
The salary proposal fits into a consistent pattern of the Sarma government prioritising social reforms alongside economic development. Crackdowns on child marriage, the polygamy prohibition law, the UCC, restrictions on welfare benefits for those practising polygamy, and now this targeted financial protection for abandoned first wives form a multi-pronged approach. Supporters view these steps as necessary to protect vulnerable women and strengthen gender justice. Critics have previously argued that some measures risk overreach into personal and religious domains or that existing laws are sufficient if properly enforced. The latest announcement is likely to generate similar debate once detailed guidelines emerge.
For many women in Assam who find themselves abandoned without formal divorce, the proposal offers a potential new avenue of support. Whether it delivers meaningful relief will depend on the speed and fairness of its implementation, the clarity of the rules, and the willingness of affected women to come forward. As the state continues its broader reform agenda, this measure underscores the government’s stated commitment that social evils such as polygamy and the abandonment of wives will not be tolerated, particularly among those drawing salaries from the public purse.
The coming months will show how the proposal is translated into operational guidelines and whether parallel legislation for private-sector employees follows. For now, the Independence Day announcement has placed the issue of financial security for abandoned first wives firmly on Assam’s social policy agenda.
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