GUWAHATI: Assam on Friday launched a new concept of “co-district” within a district administration by doing away with the existing system of civil sub-divisions.The co-district commissioners will have powers and responsibilities similar to those of the district commissioners.The objective of this first-of-its-kind initiative in the country is to take governance one step closer to people. It is expected to address the administrative challenges being faced by the administration in the districts.“We are doing away with the system of sub-divisions by introducing co-districts. They will be equivalent to districts,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.“This unique initiative will decentralise district administration. The co-districts will ensure the implementation of our vision of minimum government, and maximum governance,” he said.In phase 1, the initiative is being implemented in 39 Assembly constituencies with the inauguration of some of the offices of co-district commissioners by the ministers on Friday. Others will be inaugurated on Saturday.Sarma said phase 2 would cover 35 Assembly constituencies. The ministers will lay the foundation stone for the offices of the co-district commissioners, he added.Citing the benefits of the co-districts, Sarma said, “We will not have to visit the headquarters of a district for matters related to land, MLA funds or untied funds or for the implementation of government schemes etc. They will be facilitated by the offices of the heads of co-districts.”A co-district will have administrative control over all departments within its jurisdiction. The co-district commissioners will have magisterial powers for granting permission for events, functions, fairs etc. They will also deal with matters pertaining to food and civil supplies, excise, disaster management within their jurisdictions.Assam’s forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said this “groundbreaking” step was aimed at decentralizing administration and enhancing governance, improving the efficiency of citizen-centric services and streamlining development efforts across the state.
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