Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the newly constructed Integrated District Commissioner’s Office building of Kamrup Metropolitan district at Rupnagar in Guwahati today.
As part of efforts to make the administrative system of Kamrup Metropolitan district more organised, efficient and citizen-centric, the Integrated District Commissioner’s Office building has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 81.20 crore, covering a sprawling area of approximately 12,700 square metres. The three-storied building has also been designed to allow for the addition of two more floors in the future, as and when required. The foundation stone of the building was laid at Rupnagar on January 5, 2023. Giving priority to green energy, a 350-kilowatt solar power system has been installed in the building, with provision for adding another 100 kilowatts in the future.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the earlier office of the District Commissioner of Kamrup Metropolitan District at Panbazar was considerably small and was temporarily shifted to Hengrabari to facilitate the development and opening up of the Brahmaputra riverfront. He said that, in keeping with the changing times, the foundation stone for a spacious Integrated District Commissioner’s Office was laid at Rupnagar in January 2023.
The Chief Minister further stated that, as a part of ‘Bikashor Baba Edin’ programme, the foundation stones of several projects worth around Rs. 2,000 crore were laid in Kamrup Metropolitan District. Among these projects, the new Raj Bhavan at Kharghuli, the new office building of the Commissioner of Police at Khanapara, the 5,000-seat Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir and the 800-seat Sri Sri Damodardeva International Auditorium at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra complex have already been dedicated to the people. Meanwhile, the Integrated Directorate Complex at Betkuchi and the Guwahati Police Reserve Redevelopment Project are progressing towards completion.
Expressing satisfaction for getting the opportunity to inaugurate the Integrated District Commissioner’s Office, the foundation stone of which he himself had laid, Sarma said that this was an example of how the present government always fulfils the promises it makes within the stipulated timeframe.
Recounting the history of the Kamrup Metropolitan District Commissioner’s Office, the Chief Minister said that construction of the Kamrup District Commissioner’s Office at Panbazar had begun in 1954 during the tenure of the then Chief Minister Bishnuram Medhi, and the building was inaugurated on June 12, 1956. Administered from this district, Nalbari, Kamrup, Barpeta, and Bajali were subsequently created as independent districts. .
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” after assuming office as Prime Minister in 2014, the Chief Minister said that soon after becoming Chief Minister in 2021, he had commissioned a study to ascertain how many people visited Janata Bhawan and the reasons for their visits. The study found that around 5,000 to 6,000 people used to visit Janata Bhawan every day for various official purposes.
Following this, in 2022, through a series of administrative reforms, powers were delegated from the Secretariat to the offices of District Commissioners, Chief Engineers and Directorates. As a result, the number of visitors to the Secretariat declined significantly, and at present, on an average only around 600 to 700 people visit the Secretariat daily.
The Chief Minister said that despite efforts by the Government, a large number of files and applications continued to remain pending at the Assam Secretariat. As part of efforts to address this issue, steps are being taken to further empower District Commissioners and transfer many functions of the Secretariat to their offices.
Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Atul Bora, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Kaushik Rai, MLAs Pradyut Bordoloi, Bijoy Kumar Gupta, Diplu Ranjan Sarma and Dr. Tapan Das, Chief Secretary Dr. Ravi Kota; along with several other public representatives, senior officials and distinguished personalities were present on the occasion.
