By Tanuj Dhar

Guwahati, May 28 (IANS): While the Assam government is mulling a massive overhaul in the administration with an aim to push government machinery to reach the people's doorstep, the Trinamool Congress has termed this a replica of Mamata Banerjee's 'Duare Sarkar' programme, thereby endorsing the West Bengal Chief Minister's governance model.

Outlining the plan, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier said, "We are aiming at the de-centralisation of administration from the state headquarters. The Deputy Commissioners of each district are to be equipped with the powers bestowed on the Chief Secretary-level officers. Moreover, the guardian ministers of the districts will act as the CMs in each district."

A three-day conference with all district commissioners was concluded recently to chalk out the strategy for the overhaul.

Sarma said, "As of now, we are transferring maximum power to the district level, and then it will go to the block level. It will help the poor people living in the rural areas, as they will never have to visit the state headquarters for any sort of work."

Reacting to the development, Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev told IANS, "The Bengal BJP has been continuously criticising Mamata Banerjee for her governance. They have denounced the 'Duare Sarkar' programme. However, it is interesting that the BJP's Chief Minister in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, is following Banerjee's footstep."

Dev claimed that the 'Duare Sarkar' is a game-changing initiative, and Sarma is trying to replicate it in Assam.

According to the Trinamool leader, the Bengal BJP now must accept Mamata Banerjee's good governance model.

As per the Assam government's plan, the offices of the District Commissioners are becoming a fulcrum of administration.

Sarma said, "Instead of the traditional and conventional way of functioning, the District Commissioners will now focus on improving the GDP of their respective districts, GST generation, raising per capita income, power consumption, industrial activity, agricultural diversification, the creation of an industrial land bank, and other related issues."

Ripun Bora, the Assam unit head of the Trinamool Congress, said, "BJP earlier advocated for the Gujarat model of governance. But now they try to duplicate the functioning of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. It is good that they (the BJP) are trying to follow it; however, the BJP always talks about something and does another thing. So I doubt whether they can actually replicate Bengal's 'Duare Sarkar' programme here."

Bora further said that in every aspect, whether it is controlling price rise or providing alternate employment opportunities, the Bengal government is far ahead of other BJP-ruled states.

Meanwhile, Sarma argued that it is the aim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decentralise powers from the Centre to the state and district levels.

According to Sarma, "The Prime Minister is strengthening the state apparatus, and we are further decentralising it to the district level."

Sarma added that the district must become the centre of administration in accordance with the Prime Minister's instruction to the Chief Secretaries. It will serve as an example of decentralising authority to the local administrative level.

"If a state must move forward, the districts must likewise be required to contribute equally to the state's general growth and development. The district must function as an administrative and economic unit for this reason," he mentioned.