The Assam government is waking up to the need for setting up a separate time zone for the Northeast, something that existed during the British rule but discontinued once the country gained independence.

The issue was raised in the Assembly on Friday by a Congress member Bhupen Bora, who referred to film maker Jahnu Barua's incessant campaign. Barua has been pleading that one of the key reasons for the backwardness of Northeastern states was adhering to the Indian Standard Time as the region fell on the wrong side of the time line. Governance Now brought this issue up to the national focus with its cover story in February, written by Jahnu Barua: The line that divides India.

Responding to the issue, Science and Technology Minister Himanta Sarma told the house that the government was serious about the issue and that it planned to hold a conclave of scientists and experts in April to build a consensus.

“I assure the House that we will take a cabinet decision and raise it with the Centre,” he said, adding that though sun rose much earlier in the Northeast, people here had to wait for the others to start day's work. And since Assam was like a 'big brother' in the region it would take the lead in the matter.

Jahnu Barua has been making forceful presentation to show how states and cities on the west of the time line that passes through Kanpur in UP were more productive and hence prosperous, while those on the east of it are less productive and less prosperous.

He has been saying that the Northeastern states lost out by up to two hours of productive hours, compared to people in Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab and Maharashtra.

The issue had been taken up by the central government in 2001 but the department of science and technology rejected it saying that a separate time zone would create unnecessary complications and that the gains wouldn't commensurate with the trouble it entailed.