Dispur mulling reduction of new districts, subdivisions

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Oct 5: During the previous Congress regime in Assam, several new districts and sub-divisions were created. Although it was touted as a step towards decentralization of administration, many of the new districts and sub-divisions were created without assessing ground reality and their actual viability. Many of these additiol districts and sub-divisions were created without putting the necessary infrastructure in place.

Now, the Sarbanda Sonowal government has started a rethink on the viability of several such new districts and subdivisions, and is likely to take a decision to reduce their number.

The BJP-led State government is of the view that many of these new districts and subdivisions were created by the previous government, without putting minimum infrastructure in place, due to vested political interests.

The previous Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government had created the seven new districts of East Kamrup, South Kamrup, Charaideo, Hojai, South Salmara-Mankachar, Biswath and West Karbi Anglong during the fag end of its third term. This raised the number of districts in the State from 27 to 34.

The previous government also created as many as 24 new subdivisions – Bihpuria-rayanpur, harkatia, Ramkrish gar, Howraghat, Diyungbra, Dakshin Kamrup, Mukalmua, Kalgachia, Moran, Patharkandi, Kathigora, Merapani, Tihu, Sarukhetri, Sarbhog, Sopur, Dispur, Guwahati, Azara, Chandrapur, Dhekiajuli, Katlicherra, Lakhipur and Manikpur – through a notification dated January 25, 2016. The General Administration Department (GAD) issued the notification of creation of 24 new subdivisions after cabinet approval. For example, the previous government had formed East Kamrup district which constitutes only Dispur LAC. There was no public demand for the creation of East Kamrup district. In a similar way, South Kamrup district was announced. According to official records, most of these 24 new subdivisions were declared without having basic and minimum infrastructure in place.

On this issue, a high level government official said, “We are looking into the whole issue from a new perspective. The present State government will discuss the issue in detail in a cabinet meeting and based on the discussion, the fil decision will be taken. There are no valid reasons behind running these new districts and subdivisions without having the basic infrastructure in place,” adding, “but the presence of public sentiment related to these newly formed districts and subdivisions should be taken into consideration before taking any fil decision. There might be some repercussions if we rethink on the existence of some of these newly formed districts and subdivisions and it might create a problem for the new government.”

The official further stated: “There is no doubt that for decentralization of administration, creation of new districts and subdivisions is a necessity, but we will take any decision in this regard based on some criteria. The MLAs of these newly formed districts have raised their objections against any such move by the new government.”

Sources, however, said many such new districts and subdivisions were created during the regime of the last Congress government in the State due to some vested interests of a section of Congress MLAs, and the present BJP government at Dispur is trying to play a political game by clipping the wings of these MLAs.