Assam: Oldest civic body soon to be upgraded to municipal corporation

DIBRUGARH: The oldest civic body, Dibrugarh Municipality Board (DMB), will soon be upgraded to Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC). Addressing a press conference, DMB chairman Dr Saikat Patra on Monday informed that DMB will be soon upgraded to Municipal Corporation. “A notification has already been sent to us on November 20 from Department of Housing and Urban Affairs and they told us that within 15 days, we have informed them about the notification. They have also stated that if anyone has any objection or suggestion, they should address the matter to Deputy Commissioner,” Dr Saikat Patra stated.

“State Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal recently visited Dibrugarh and we had a discussion regarding the matter. We will see more development in Dibrugarh after the DMB will be upgraded to municipal corporation. Now we rely on tax collection but after it gets upgraded, central fund will directly come to Dibrugarh for development,” Patra said.

DMB vice-chairman Ujjal Phukan said, “We will see more development in Dibrugarh after it gets upgraded to Municipal Corporation. Our budget will be higher because funds will directly come from centre.”

“Recently the urban tax has been increased but we have discussed this matter and decided to reduced it upto 40 per cent. We have many pending tax collection but before it gets upgraded to Municipal Corporation, we urged everyone to pay their taxes. We have decided to give them rebate,” Phukan said.

He said, “We have decided that the door-to-door collection of waste will be done at ward no 10 and 11 as a pilot project and if we succeed then after the corporation forms, the process will be started in all the 22 wards. Now the door-to-door waste collection is done by the NGOs.”

Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan, who was also present at the press meet, welcomed the decision of Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation. “Dibrugarh will see more development in coming days. Many development projects will come up after its upgrade to Municipal corporation,” MLA said. Dibrugarh Municipal Board is one of the oldest municipalities in Northeast India, established in 1873.

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