GUWAHATI: Assam has witnessed repetitive delays in the formation of several key committees responsible for transferring funds, functions, and functionaries (3Fs) to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the state.
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The findings, part of the audit report for 2021-22 to 2022-23, presented by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, has flagged these gaps in institutional mechanisms required for decentralisation.
According to the report, Section 53(A)(2) of the Assam Municipal Act, 1956, mandates the formation of a committee comprising senior officials from the Urban Development Department (UDD) to oversee the transfer of 3Fs to municipalities. However, as of September 2023, no such committee had been constituted.
Additionally, the report has noted that while the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Act, 1971, provides for the formation of standing committees to oversee taxation, finance, public health, and public works, no such committees have been set up in GMC.
The report has also highlighted the absence of Metropolitan Planning Committees (MPCs) in Assam. As per Article 243ZE of the Constitution, MPCs are mandatory for metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 10 lakh.
Despite this, no MPC has been constituted in the state as of October 2023.
