KALAIGAON, Dec 24 � The district administrations in all the four districts in the BTC area have been facing serious bottlenecks due to the curtailment of most of the powers generally enjoyed by other Deputy Commissioners of the country. Most of the powers of the DCs had been transferred directly to the BTC authority under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, thereby making the DCs just administrative heads without substantial powers. The DC cannot control any officers serving under him in the BTC districts as he has to look after law and order only.
The newly-posted Deputy Commissioner of Udalguri district , Thaneswar Malakar, who is also known as a writer, said this at a crowded meeting at subdivisional headquarters, Bhergaon recently. The meeting was organised on the occasion of distribution of grants-in-aid to beneficiaries. The meeting was attended by Rihon Daimari, Minister, PHE, Assam, MLAs, BTC EMs, MCLAs, high-ranking officials and media persons.
Presiding over the meeting, the DC said that he would try his best to solve the problems of the people in the district. He requested the BTC authority to grant normal powers to DCs serving in the BTC so as to control government officials, who have been evading their duties on the pretext of engagement with the BTC authority at Kokrajhar. According to him, the departmental heads could report directly to Kokrajhar without informing the DC. He suggested that the DCs must be made aware of the movement of all departmental heads.
MP Sarma, Project Director, DRDA, Udalguri, while addressing the people, stressed the need for speedy development of 7.64 lakh people living in the district. Maheswar Boro, MLA, Kalaigaon and chairman of DRDA, Udalguri claimed that whatever could not be achieved in the last fifty years was made possible in just five years during the Congress-BPF rule.
In his concluding speech as the chief guest, Minister Rihon Daimari remarked that a wave of change had been noticed in the BTC. He requested the people not to put undue pressure on government officers and contractors by demanding donations which, he said, would slow down the process of development and welfare of the people. The minister declared that the construction of the remaining portion of the MB Road (declared as a State highway) from Kalaigaon to Bhutiachang would be completed in the coming year with an amount of Rs 22 crore.
The meeting was also addressed by Lwmsrao Daimari, EM, BTC. Distinguished guests Jagadish Sarkar, Rati Ram Boro, both BTC MCLAs, Debajyoti Dutta, ADC, Bhergaon, all the Circle Officers and BDOs attended the meeting. More than 3, 000 people were present in the meeting. DN Hazarika, Circle Officer, Harisinga Revenue Circle, Tangla offered the vote of thanks at the end before the grants-in-aid were distributed under 14 govt departments.