State Election Commission to hold elections in Silchar as a "Municipal Corporation" not "Board": Cabinet

Putting all speculations to an end, the State Election Commission has announced that the Silchar Municipality Elections will be conducted only after it is converted to Silchar Municipal Corporation. In the cabinet meeting held today, it was discussed in depth. The Cabinet had already approved the proposal to convert Silchar Municipality Board to Silchar Municipal Corporation.

The upgradation of Silchar as Municipal Corporation was a poll promise of the BJP. However, the timeline was unclear. If sources are to be believed, the Dispur leadership wanted to conduct the elections first and later convert it to the corporation. But eventually, it was left for Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty, Silchar MP Dr. Rajdeep Roy and the party’s district leadership to decide.

Guardian Minister of Cachar District and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ashok Singhal, speaking with Barak Bulletin, said that the bill to upgrade Silchar Municipality Board to Corporation will be tabled in the Assembly and only after that it will get notified. Today, the cabinet has notified the same.

In an earlier conversation with Barak Bulletin, he said, “Meanwhile, whether we are holding the election as a municipality board or corporation, will be decided as per the advice of the local MLA and MP. Now, it will depend on the local MLA and MP, if they want to go for the election and then convert it to corporation or upgrade it to corporation and only then go for the elections. It is very much a localised issue and we must take the MLA and MP into confidence.”

The Cabinet asked Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, Keerthi Jalli to submit proposal for expansion and delimitation at the earliest. Once it becomes Corporation, greater funds flow into the town for better service delivery. Today’s decision at the Cabinet meeting makes it clear that the Municipality Elections won’t be held in Silchar along with election to boards in other districts.”

It is worth mentioning here that, On April 1, 2020, Niharendra Narayan Thakur handed over charges of Silchar Municipality Board to Sumit Sattavan, who assumed as the Executive Officer.