Sonowal on job to give urban bodies lean and mean officers

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 24: If the urban local bodies are to function more efficiently, they need people who are lean and mean. In order to make employees who are lean and mean, Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal has proposed to introduce Urban Administrator Service, Urban Engineering and Planners Service and Urban Fince and Accounts Service, and asked the Chief Secretary to do the needful in this regard.

Iugurating a state-level workshop for the chairpersons and vice chairpersons of urban local bodies in Assam Administrative Staff College today on Uttaran (Urban Transformation through Administrative Reforms and New Approach), Sonowal said with the introduction of the services, the urban local bodies would find more expertise to live up to the mandate they were created.

Sonowal said, “Responsibility and responsiveness are the guiding principles for urban local bodies and using these principles the urban local bodies can usher in a clean and green surroundings. Our objective is to make a green Assam, and urban local bodies should take a proactive role in planting saplings all around”. He urged the urban local bodies not to be bogged down by the constraints of fund and do the duties exemplifying their code of ethics and duties.  He also urged them to gain trust and confidence of the town and city dwellers to render their works efficiently.

Requesting them to extend their services dedicatedly Sonowal said, “Mahatma Gandhi had won freedom for us. He also dreamt of a clean and green country. On the occasion of his 150th Birth Anniversary in 2019, transforming our country into a clean and green one, will the best tribute to the Father of the tion”.

Citing there are 97 urban local bodies in Assam and 14 per cent of the total population of the State lives in urban areas, Sonowal said that there must be competition among the urban local bodies to make their respective town areas clean and green and help urban areas to set an example for the villages. He also sought cooperation from all stakeholders, including the citizens, to contribute dedicatedly for the success of Prime Minister rendra Modi’s flagship programme of ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.

“You (urban local bodies) should play the role of a catalyst to make Swachhta Abhiyan a movement and bring tangible changes in the State,” Sonowal said. Minister for Urban Development, Town and Country Planning Atul Bora also spoke on the occasion.  Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia, Additiol Chief Secretary MGVK Bhanu and other senior officers were present on the occasion.  On the side lines of the workshop, Mariani Town Committee contributed Rs 2 lakh to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.