Government aiming to transform districts into fulcrum of administrative, economic activities: Assam CM

Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 28 : To expedite the realisation of the growth vision of Assam, the State government on Wednesday signed an MoU with policy think tank Pahle India Foundation to study new areas in the district development including existing gap and estimation of gross domestic product at a programme held at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati.

Speaking on the occasion, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that with the help of the understanding with Pahle India Foundation, the district administration across the state will find more avenues in identifying new areas of revenue at the district level which can improve the GDP of the state.

Additional Chief Secretary Transformation and Development Department Asish Bhutani on behalf of the Government of Assam and Executive Director Pahle India Foundation Ravi Pokharna signed the understanding.

CM Sarma said, "In our vision for economic growth, our government has taken the initiative of district-led economic development."

Therefore, this MoU will help in promoting the district as the fulcrum of administration and the centre of growth for the state.

He further said that to realize this vision, extensive research is required at the district level for the estimation of District Gross Domestic product which in turn would help in the preparation of the district vision document.

The Chief Minister said that Assam is today one of the fastest-growing states. The State Gross Domestic Product is rising which reflects the state's economic and financial growth.

Sarma said that to realize the potential of all the sectors of the state's economy, his government has put emphasis on transforming the districts as the fulcrum of administrative and economic activities. In the proposed set-up, unlike the traditional and conventional way of functioning, the DCs will focus on improving the GDP of their respective districts.

Moreover, the DCs will also concentrate on GST generation, the raising of per capita income, power consumption, industrial activity, agricultural diversification, creation of industrial land bank etc. The DCs will work and bring a holistic approach to the functions of all the departments at the district level, he added.

In view of this, the partnership that the State government has forged with Pahle India Foundation is going to have a far-reaching impact. This will give an opportunity to overhaul the state's economic potential and analyze the steps taken for holistic development. It will guide the districts in mitigating the data gap in all three sectors, that is primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy for compilation of District Domestic Product and Gross State Domestic Product.

The MoU will also guide the districts for the estimation of Gross Fixed Capital Formation and Private Final Consumption Expenditure for the state.

Thanking Pahle India Foundation for the partnership with the State government, Dr Sarma said that the collaboration would help in shaping a new model for Assam's economic progress. It will also boost the development of the state in a planned manner to fulfil the vision of Atmanirbhar Assam.

Chief Secretary Paban Kumar Borthakur, Chairman Pahle India Foundation Dr Rajiv Kumar and others were present on the occasion.