GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Saturday remerged four districts- Biswanath, Hojai, Bajali and Tamulpur- with the original districts from where they were bifurcated in recent years.
A notification to this effect has been issued.
Announcing the decision with a heavy heart, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting held in New Delhi on the last day of the year in view of the EC ban on reshuffling administrative units in the state from January 1 ahead of the commencement of delimitation exercise to begin in the state.
Assam had 35 districts till the merger was notified on Saturday.
“This won’t be permanent. For specific administrative purposes and in the interest of Assam and our society, the decision to remerge the four districts has been taken. Personally I am not happy about it but it had to be taken in greater interest,” Sarma said.
He, however, added that police districts will continue to exist in the four areas and judicial set up will also continue to function.
He told the media that people of the four districts that have been amalgamated will not suffer because of the merger and the government offices set up there won’t be shifted out.
“All other district offices which have been created during the period will continue so that no employee or officer faces any difficulty,” Sarma said.
“There is an uncertainty when the delimitation exercise will be completed. The EC ban on creating or reshuffling administrative units will come into force from January 1, 2023. So we had to take these decisions on four districts urgently,” he added.
He said Biswanath, Hojai, Bajali and Tamulpur, each will now be administered from the Sub-Divisional Officer’s (SDO) office which will work in tandem with the deputy commissioner of the original districts.
“For the time being the DCs of the four districts that ceased to exist from today, will be SDO- Civil (in-charge). But the government will transfer them on a seniority basis in the coming days, Sarma said.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Election Commission of India early this week announced initiation of delimitation exercise for redrawing the boundaries of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam – 14 years after the process was put on hold amid legal hurdles. The EC in a statement on Tuesday stated that 2001 census figures will be used during the exercise.
A notification to this effect has been issued.
Announcing the decision with a heavy heart, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting held in New Delhi on the last day of the year in view of the EC ban on reshuffling administrative units in the state from January 1 ahead of the commencement of delimitation exercise to begin in the state.
Assam had 35 districts till the merger was notified on Saturday.
“This won’t be permanent. For specific administrative purposes and in the interest of Assam and our society, the decision to remerge the four districts has been taken. Personally I am not happy about it but it had to be taken in greater interest,” Sarma said.
He, however, added that police districts will continue to exist in the four areas and judicial set up will also continue to function.
He told the media that people of the four districts that have been amalgamated will not suffer because of the merger and the government offices set up there won’t be shifted out.
“All other district offices which have been created during the period will continue so that no employee or officer faces any difficulty,” Sarma said.
“There is an uncertainty when the delimitation exercise will be completed. The EC ban on creating or reshuffling administrative units will come into force from January 1, 2023. So we had to take these decisions on four districts urgently,” he added.
He said Biswanath, Hojai, Bajali and Tamulpur, each will now be administered from the Sub-Divisional Officer’s (SDO) office which will work in tandem with the deputy commissioner of the original districts.
“For the time being the DCs of the four districts that ceased to exist from today, will be SDO- Civil (in-charge). But the government will transfer them on a seniority basis in the coming days, Sarma said.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Election Commission of India early this week announced initiation of delimitation exercise for redrawing the boundaries of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam – 14 years after the process was put on hold amid legal hurdles. The EC in a statement on Tuesday stated that 2001 census figures will be used during the exercise.
