Assam: SOP spells out rules for block reorganization & delimitation of GP, AP and ZPC

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Panchayat and Rural Development Department (P&RD) published the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for the reorganization of development blocks and delimitation of GPs (Gaon Panchayats), APs (Anchalik Panchayats) and ZPs (Zila Parishads) yesterday.

According to the SOPs, the block reorganization process has to commence immediately after Gaon Panchayat delimitation. A development block will belong to only one LAC, and no block jurisdiction shall fall under more than one LAC. In the event that any existing block is divided among two or more districts, the block will be considered in the district where the existing block HQ lies.

After reorganisation, the number of blocks in the district will be equal to the existing number of blocks (Block HQ) in the district.

The SOP further said that no Gaon Panchayat shall belong to more than one block. Preferably, the maximum number of Gaon Panchayats in a block will be up to 17 Gaon Panchayats after Gaon Panchayat Delimitation. The priority is to use the existing block headquarters within the LACs as the headquarters of the reorganized block as far as practicable. As far as possible and practicable, the existing block boundaries will be retained.

The district-level committee will validate the block headquarters of the reorganised block. The district-level committee will ratify and approve the LAC-wise block boundary and block headquarters and send the recommendations to P&RD for final notification.

According to the SOP, in Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and Dima Hasao Autonomous Council (DHAC), there will be no change in the block boundaries or block headquarters as no block is divided among more than one LAC after delimitation in these districts.

In the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), the SOP said that a development block will belong to only one LAC, and no block jurisdiction shall fall in more than one LAC. After reorganisation, the number of blocks in the district will be equal to the existing number of blocks (block HQs) in the district. The overlapping of the blocks between the BTR and general areas will have to be rectified in this block reorganization.

The block reorganization proposal, including proposed block boundaries and block headquarters, is to be completed and submitted to the P&RD for notification by September 6, 2024, the SOP said, adding that the number of blocks (219) will remain the same.

The number of gaon panchayats in the district, according to the SOP, shall remain the same as the current number of gaon panchayats in the district after the LAC delimitation. One gaon panchayat shall belong to only one LAC.

If a gaon panchayat after LAC delimitation is shared among more than one LAC, then the villages under the respective LACs may either be grouped to form a new GP or may be accommodated in the nearby existing GP.

A census village shall not be bifurcated into two or more gaon panchayats.

As per LAC delimitation, if a gaon panchayat is divided between two districts, then that gaon panchayat will be considered in the district having the GP headquarters.

As the anchalik panchayats are co-terminus with the development blocks (as per Section 31 of the Assam Panchayat Act, 1994), reorganisation of blocks will automatically delimit the anchalik panchayat.

One gaon panchayat under the jurisdiction of the anchalik panchayat area shall form a constituency for electing one member directly to the anchalik panchayat as per Section 32 of the Assam Panchayat Act, 1994, the SOP said.

A territorial constituency of Zilla Parishad (ZPC) will belong to only one LAC. In the case of a 100% rural population in an LAC, the LAC shall have four territorial constituencies (ZPC) at a rate of one member for a population of not less than 30,000. And in the case of an L.AC having a rural and urban population, each ZPC will constitute not less than 30,000 rural residents, and the LAC may have less than four, the SOP said.

According to the SOP, public hearings at district and block levels should be from September 7-16, and the completion of delimitation will be by September 17.   

Also read: Assam: Dispur to complete delimitation of Gaon Panchayats by September 15 (sentinelassam.com)

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