Assam: Delimitation of local bodies to be carried out by August

'After reorganisation, a development block will belong to only one assembly constituency. The total number of development blocks will not be more than the present number of 219,' Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said.

Guwahati: The Assam government on Wednesday announced that the delimitation of gaon panchayats, anchalik panchayats and zilla parishads will be completed by August in order to hold elections to the rural bodies by the end of this year.

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said that the details of the delimitation exercise, which was necessitated following a similar drive of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies last year, were finalised during a cabinet meeting.

"To rationalise resource utilisation and strengthen democratic representation at the grassroots, the cabinet has accorded approval to the proposal for reorganisation of development blocks and delimitation of gaon panchayats, anchalik panchayats and zilla parishads in Assam," he told reporters here.

The need for reorganising and delimitation arose after the delimitation of assembly constituencies under which the existing jurisdiction of development blocks fell in more than one assembly constituency, Pegu said.

"After reorganisation, a development block will belong to only one assembly constituency. The total number of development blocks will not be more than the present number of 219," he added.

Pegu said that in case any existing block is divided among two or more districts, the part where the headquarters falls will continue as the existing block while the parts falling in other districts will become new blocks.

"The maximum number of gaon panchayats (GPs) in a block will be 17 post delimitation. There will be no changes in the blocks for hill districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao as no block falls in more than one assembly seat in these districts. The overlapping of the blocks between the Bodoland Territorial Council and general areas is proposed to be rectified," he added.

The minister said that as anchalik panchayats (AP) are co-terminus with development blocks, and reorganisation of blocks will automatically allow delimitation in the APs.

"For rural assembly seats, each constituency will have four zilla parishads (ZPs). For assembly segments having both urban and rural populations, there will be one ZP for every 30,000 people," he added.

The number of gaon panchayats will remain the same as the present number post delimitation, the cabinet decided.

"GP, AP and ZP delimitation will be completed by August 30. Block reorganisation post GP delimitation will be completed by September 15," Pegu said.

On June 6, the Assam cabinet had announced that the panchayat elections in the state will take place in November this year and for it, a delimitation exercise of all development blocks will be carried out.

In another resolution on Wednesday, the state cabinet decided to allay apprehensions of the business community regarding notices served under GST and has requested ministers Ajanta Neog and Ashok Singhal to hold six regional consultations across the state.

"The consultations will be held in Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Guwahati, Tezpur and Silchar, and a report will be submitted within one month," Pegu said.

The cabinet has also accorded approval to an SOP for providing assistance to one youth club or sports association in each of the 126 assembly constituencies with Rs 15 lakh.

Out of this, Rs 5 lakh will be earmarked for development of infrastructure, electrification and other works, while the balance Rs 10 lakh can be spent for necessary sporting equipment, based on a requirement raised by a local committee to be headed by district commissioner, Pegu said.

"Youth clubs and sports associations will be selected by the district committees as per the guidelines to be issued by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department," he added.