Guwahati: Governor of Assam, Janaki Ballav Patnaik who initiated the process of introducing the Panchayati Raj System in the Sixth Schedule districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts has instructed the concerned state government department to complete the process of preparation of Panchayati Raj Bills of the two districts in all aspects in a time bound manner.
The instructions were issued following a review meeting convened by the Governor in the Raj Bhavan here.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of the 6th Schedule districts of the Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao District Councils and the principal secretary to the chief minister; the principal secretary, P & RD, Assam; the commissioner & secretary to the governor; the divisional commissioner, Hills & Barak Valley; commissioner & secretary, hills areas department , principal secretary, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, principal secretary, Dima Hasao Hills District Autonomous Council and other officials.
It was decided that Panchayati Raj Bills of the two districts should be completed in all respects in a time bound manner so that the Panchayati Raj System could be introduced at the earliest in these areas.
The district councils are losing a lot of funds which the Union government provides to all other parts of the country.
As a result of this, the Sixth Schedule districts of Assam suffer from lack of funds for development of the rural areas at the grassroots levels and there is a lot of discontentment amongst the people for lack of proper representation in the development of their areas.
As regards the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts under the Bodoland Territorial Council, the process is already being initiated and meeting will be called soon to review the matter.
