BARPETA Jan 2 - The entire eastern part of Barpeta district was agog with joy as their long-standing demand of a civil subdivision materialised on Friday. As Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced the decision of the Government of Assam to constitute some new subdivisions, including one in Sarukshetri, people in large numbers welcomed the decision unequivocally and spontaneously. Fireworks and crackers were burst at Sarthebari and the surrounding areas to mark the celebration.
The Sarthebari Subdivision Demand Committee has expressed its happiness over the Government�s decision. A meeting of the demand committee, chaired by Bani Kanta Bhuya, working president of the demand committee, thanked the Government for its positive gesture to their 45-year-long demand. In a resolution adopted in the meeting, they expressed their heartfelt gratitude to chief minister Tarun Gogoi and the Revenue Minister and chairman of the Cabinet subcommittee for Subdivision Reconstruction, Dr Bhumidhar Barman.
The meeting also thanked the people of the area for their whole-hearted support and cooperation to the agitation for the subdivision. The office bearers of the subdivision demand committee requested the people of the area to be united as before in the interest of the development of the area.
Secretaries of the demand committee, Haramohan Barman and Prahlad Talukdar, vice-president Harmohan Barman, student leader Gunajit Choudhury, and other speakers unambiguously applauded the Government for the constitution of the Sarukshetri subdivision. They termed it as a special gift of the New Year for the people of this area.
Later in the evening, a delegation of the subdivision demand committee led by its working president, Bani Kanta Bhuya and one of the secretaries, Prahlad Talukdar met the Revenue Minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman at his official residence and thanked him. They also requested him to establish the headquarters of the subdivision at Sarthebari.
It may be mentioned here that the eastern part of Barpeta consisting of Sarukshetri and Paka mouza are very backward in all respects. Dilapidated roads and lack of other infrastructure have made the lives of the people miserable. The people believe that establishment of an administrative unit like a subdivision will relieve these woes to some extent. So they have been demanding a subdivision since 1970. But it could not attract the attention of the Government till a few years back. This time the people were united and organised several agitational programmes in a well-organised manner which opened the eyes of the Government.
