Guwahati: Assam’s Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development Ranjeet Kumar Dass, on Tuesday, confirmed that the state will conduct its long-awaited Panchayat elections in April. The state government announced this as a part of preparation to conduct a smooth election, with the minister asking the Assam State Election Commission to issue the election dates at the earliest.
Addressing the media, Dass highlighted the willingness of the state government to hold the elections and asked the Election Commission to decide on the election dates without further delay. He recommended that if the dates of elections are fixed as April 3, the electoral process would end by May 3. If the dates were extended to April 4, 5, or 6, the elections would finish by May 4, 5, or 6, respectively. The statement by the minister points towards the government’s will to conduct the elections at the earliest and avoid maximum disruption in the political and administrative setup of the state.
The Assam Panchayat elections will be important for local government, with citizens voting for representatives at different levels, such as the Gram Panchayat, Anchalik Panchayat, and Zila Parishad. This year, there will be a significant change in the manner in which candidates contest the elections. Candidates contesting seats in the Gram Panchayat will not be members of any political party, providing a more localized, community-based method of electoral representation. Yet, party-supported candidates can contest at the upper tiers of Anchalik Panchayat and Zila Parishad.
The elections will adhere to current regulations with regard to eligibility, such as educational and age qualifications for the candidates. The government of Assam is seeking to make sure that only capable and qualified individuals represent their constituencies in line with standards that protect the integrity of the electoral process.
In a bid to further consolidate local government, the Assam government has also enacted the Assam Panchayat (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Among the major provisions of the amendment is the new regulation for the establishment of Haats (local markets) within the purview of different Panchayats. Under the amended rules, Haats that come under Gaon Panchayat, Anchalik Panchayat, or Zila Parishad jurisdictions will be settled via tendering procedure lasting for a period of up to one Panchayat year. This provision seeks to add more transparency and accountability in dealing with the affairs of local markets.
The amendment also establishes quantifiable criteria of transfer of Haats based on their value for annual settlement. Haats having an annual settlement value of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh will come under the jurisdiction of the Anchalik Panchayat, while those above Rs 10 lakh will come under the jurisdiction of the Zila Parishad. The Standing Committee of the Panchayat will scrutinize and approve such tenders to ensure that the process is impartial and in conformity with the spirit of good governance.
These Panchayat Act amendments are going to come into force from the ensuing Panchayat Year, a big leap in the journey of the growth of local self-government in Assam. It is hoped by the government that these changes will improve the efficiency of the administration and contribute towards the all-round development of rural Assam.
With the poll dates still to be announced, political parties as well as people in the area are waiting impatiently for additional information from the Assam State Election Commission. The next few months will determine the fate of the state, which is looking forward to the exercise in grassroot democracy.
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