GUWAHATI: In a Cabinet meeting held on September 8, several key decisions were taken. The Assam Cabinet has given its nod to a series of amendments to the Assam Panchayat Act, 1994.
Under this amendment, the post of Gaon Panchayat (GP) President will no longer be directly elected. Instead, the new GP President will be elected from among the 10 GP members.
Political symbols for Zilla Parishad (ZP) and Anchalik Panchayat (AP) elections are set to be introduced. Candidates contesting GP elections will no longer be allowed to use party symbols.
Another change includes the restriction on initiating a no-confidence motion for the first 2.5 years of the term of President and Vice President of Gaon Panchayat (GP), Anchalik Panchayat (AP), and Zilla Parishad (ZP).
Wards in GPs with more than 10 per cent SC/ST population will now see reserved seats for these communities on a rotational basis. The introduction of Ward Sabha and the categorisation of districts based on population density will lead to the reorganisation of GPs.
A State Level Recruitment Commission will oversee Grade III and Grade IV recruitments within Panchayats, enhancing transparency and efficiency. Panchayat elections will now embrace Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
A District Delimitation Commission, consisting of the District Collector (DC) as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), ZP as Member Secretary, and Election Officer as Member, will determine the size of ZP, AP, and GP constituencies.
Elected representatives of Panchayats will face disqualification upon violating the legal age of marriage, and strict anti-defection measures will be enforced. The accounts of Zilla Parishads will now undergo a rigorous audit by the Accountant General of Assam.
ZP members will be assigned to various departments for monitoring and supervision, similar to the model followed by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC). The President of ZPs will nominate members to oversee and monitor district-level activities as per the government's directives.
To promote competence, GP members are required to have at least a Matriculation qualification (Class X pass for SC/ST members), while AP/ZP members must possess a Higher Secondary Pass (Matriculation for SC/ST/OBC members).