Promises to keep? Not Gogoi

Creation of new districts & sub-divisions still on paper

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, March 22: Yet another promise made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi with much fanfare is now set to meet a quiet demise. In the run up to the 2011 Assembly elections, Gogoi had grandly promised to carve out several new districts and sub-divisions in the State. The Congress party maged to garner a considerable amount of votes riding on that poll promise, which had figured prominently in its election manifesto. But four years later, hardly anything has moved on the ground to turn that promise to reality.

Sources now reveal that though the official process towards the creation of new sub-divisions began in 2011, it has been moving at a sil’s pace since then. Only one year is now left in the Congress government’s third term and there is every possibility that Gogoi’s promise will remain on paper. The blame for toying with the hopes and aspirations of the people must be shared equally by Chief Minister Gogoi and the earlier revenue minister Prithibi Majhi.

To look into the creation of new districts and sub-divisions, a cabinet sub-committee was constituted by the Chief Minister under the chairmanship of Prithibi Majhi. But the cabinet sub-committee has met only once for reasons best known to it. The sub-committee has reportedly failed even to collect detailed information on the issue from deputy commissioners concerned.

Official records available with this reporter show that the one and only meeting of the cabinet sub-committee so far, was held on February 21, 2014. This lone meeting came three years after Gogoi’s promise and since then, no more meetings have been held. With Prithibi Majhi dropped from the Gogoi cabinet, “ nobody now knows when the sub-committee will hold its next meeting,” according to sources.

There are proposals for the creation of six new districts in the State - Hatsingimari, South Salmara (Dhubri), Bokajan (Karbi Anglong), Gossaigaon (Kokrajhar), Hojai (gaon), Charaideo (Sivasagar) and Biswath Chariali (Sonitpur). There are 55 proposals for the creation of new sub-divisions in the State.

In the 2011 Assembly elections manifesto, Gogoi announced creation of 15 new sub-divisions in the State.   

The reorganization of Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong autonomous districts is also hanging fire for more than two-and-half years now. “As per the memorandum of settlement signed on October 8, 2012 between the Central Government, the Assam Government, the DHD and the DHD (J), Dispur agreed to reorganise the existing autonomous district Dima Hasao  under 6th Schedule into three administrative units for better development but nothing has been done towards this end till date. Similarly, another memorandum of settlement was signed on May 15, 2012 between the Central government, the Assam government and the UPDS on the reorganisation of the existing autonomous district Karbi Anglong into four administrative districts, but it still remains on paper,” sources said.