GUWAHATI:
Assam Cabinet on Saturday gave nod for the re-merger of four districts – Bajali, Tamulpur, Hojai and Biswanath with their original districts from where they were bifurcated because of the delimitation initiative taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to limit the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies of the state based on the 2001 census report.
The notification in this regard was issued on Saturday.
In addition to this, the cabinet also gave its nod for the transfer of more than 100 villages and some areas from one district to another, involving 14 districts.
“Bajali district will be remerged with Barpeta, Tamulpur with Baksa, Hojai with Nagaoan and Biswanath district will be remerged with the original Sonitpur district. From now on Bajali, Biswanath, Hojai, and Tamulpur will be sub-divisions,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting in New Delhi.
With this, the total number of the district will come down from 35 to 31.
All four districts were newly formed- Tamulpur was created on January 2022, Hojai was formed in August 2015, Biswanath in August 2015, and Bajali became a full-fledged district on August 2020.
“The deputy commissioners of these districts will be the sub-divisional officer (SDO) in charge for the time being till the appointment of the SDO. A senior Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer in the rank of additional deputy commissioner (ADC) will be posted in each sub-division as SDO,” Sarma said.
“This is completely a temporary measure with specific administrative purpose and in the interest of the state and society,” Sarma also said.
The cabinet also gave its nod for the change of some villages in 14 districts of the state. Accordingly, the North Guwahati Town Committee will now be under Kamrup Metropolitan district.
“We have to call the cabinet meeting in New Delhi hurridly because the ECI has banned the creation of a new administrative unit from tomorrow. Moreover, I have an appointment with Prime Minister at 4.30 pm today due to which I can’t move to Guwahati for the meeting,” Sarma further said.
“We have done it based on the report of the DCs. We have done it for specific administrative purposes. I am also not happy with the decision. But it has to be done for the state’s interest. Sometimes we have to take hard decisions also,” the Chief Minister said.
“We can’t appoint SDOs before January 5 because there is another exercise of the ECI going on in the state. The summary revision will be published on January 5. Therefore, no officer can be transferred before January 5,” he said.
“Separate police districts and judicial districts will continue. This is an interim decision. We will reconsider it in due course of time,” the Chief Minister also said.
Referring to the public protest over the decision, the Chief Minister said the ministers will visit the areas in the new year and explain to the people why the government has to take such a hard decision.
Sarma also refuted the reports published in a section of the press on the boundary of constituencies in the delimitation exercise and said all these reports are based on the 2007 draft proposal.
“The media reports are wrong. Some are publishing constituency names. Some are giving the list of new constituencies. All these are based on 2007 draft proposals. But the situation of 2007 is not similar to that of 2022. So there will be change. We need not react to old proposals,” the Chief Minister said.
“The delimitation exercise will be carried out by the ECI. The Assam government can submit its opinion. All major political parties- BJP, Congress and AIUDF can also submit their opinions on the new proposals. Organisations can also submit their opinions,” he said.
He also said that the delimitation exercise will be completed within six to eight months i.e., before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
All the ministers reached on Friday evening following the Chief Minister’s directive. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Transport minister Parimal Suklabaidyaa and industries minister Bimal Bora attend the cabinet meeting virtually from Guwahati.