Ranjeet Kumar Dass Cracks Down on ‘Representative Culture’ in Panchayats

Hailakandi: Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass made a strong and unprecedented stand against the growing trend of ‘representative culture’ in panchayat bodies during his visit to the Algapur Block Development Office in Hailakandi.

Issuing a clear directive, the minister announced that husbands of elected women panchayat representatives will no longer be allowed to enter panchayat or zila parishad offices. Dass said that though the practice is rare in the Brahmaputra Valley, it has been continuing in the Barak Valley, especially in Hailakandi.

Moreover, the minister called for public cooperation, stating, "If the husband of any woman panchayat representative tries to enter a panchayat or zila parishad office, the public may boldly push them out if necessary." The minister also went so far as to boast that corruption in the state has been reduced from 80 percent to only 8 percent under the present government.

Furthermore, Dass highlighted the progress under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and informed that 22 lakh houses have already been completed across Assam. In the new year, the state will provide three lakh more houses to homeless families, a phase he hopes the Chief Minister will ceremonially launch in January.

The minister also dismissed allegations of corruption in PMAY in Hailakandi. He pointed out that despite MLA Zakir Hussain Laskar making such accusations publicly, the MLA never raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly, as he found no evidence. Dass's visit, coupled with strong statements, marks the renewed push towards transparency, accountability, and genuine grassroots leadership in Assam's panchayat system.

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