Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state will be the first in India to implement “co-districts,” a unique initiative aimed at decentralizing administration and enhancing public access to government services.
The rollout will start with 39 co-districts on October 3 and 4. These smaller administrative units will function below the district level, streamlining the delivery of essential services like issuing certificates, ration cards, land permits, and government approvals.
The move is part of Sarma’s larger vision of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.” By bringing government operations closer to rural populations, the initiative hopes to reduce the need for citizens to travel to district headquarters, improving efficiency and accessibility.
Co-districts will empower local officials, providing services such as land sale permissions and welfare schemes at the grassroots level. Guardian ministers for each district will also play a key role in overseeing the governance, akin to acting as chief ministers for their respective districts.
This marks a significant shift in state’s administrative structure, building on earlier efforts to decentralize governance by transferring more power from the state level to district and block levels.