Assam sets December 31 deadline for pending business reforms, reviews governance initiatives

The Assam government has reviewed the progress of key governance reforms, administrative initiatives and development programmes, with a focus on completing pending business reforms by December 31, 2026, and bringing all government offices under the e-Office system by January 1, 2027.

The review was conducted during the 21st Monthly Review Meeting with the senior-most secretaries of the state government, chaired by the Chief Minister at the Kaziranga Conference Hall. The meeting assessed progress on key decisions and follow-up actions arising from the District Commissioners' Conference.

Among the major areas discussed were deregulation and business reforms, financial management, development priorities, administrative reforms and the functioning of Sixth Schedule Autonomous Councils.

Under the deregulation agenda, the meeting reviewed progress under Deregulation 2.0, the State Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) and District BRAP. The emphasis was on simplifying regulatory procedures, improving the ease of doing business and completing all pending reforms within the December 31 deadline.

The meeting also reviewed several financial management initiatives, including the Viksit Assam proposal, implementation of the Green Cess, submission of annual accounts by societies and public sector undertakings (PSUs) for Gross State Value Added (GSVA) computation, and progress under the Single Nodal Agency (SNA)-SPARSH system. Departments were asked to ensure timely compliance, strengthen fiscal accountability and improve the utilisation of public resources.

On development priorities, the review covered the Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programmes, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators, and follow-up actions on recommendations of the North Eastern Council (NEC) High Level Task Force and the Chief Secretaries' Conferences. The government stressed the need for targeted interventions and outcome-based monitoring to assess progress.

The operational framework of 16 State-Level Sectoral Councils was also reviewed. These councils are intended to strengthen grassroots feedback, encourage stakeholder participation and improve accountability in public service delivery.

On administrative reforms, the meeting assessed the delegation of powers to Co-District Commissioners, implementation of Sewa Setu and e-Office, and progress under Project Sadbhavana.

According to the review, e-Office pendency has declined by 7 per cent, although 3,04,288 files remain pending. The government reiterated its target of bringing all government offices under the e-Office platform by January 1, 2027. Preparations for Mission Sadbhavana 3.0 were also discussed.

The meeting further reviewed the implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Sixth Schedule Autonomous Councils. It emphasised the need for scheme-specific memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the councils and line departments to establish clear responsibilities and ensure effective fund utilisation. Departments were also directed to designate nodal officers and conduct monthly reviews to strengthen institutional monitoring.

Emphasising the need for effective implementation, the Chief Minister said decisions taken during review meetings must translate into measurable improvements in administrative efficiency and public service delivery.

He called on all departments to ensure coordinated action, clearly defined accountability and time-bound follow-up, with good governance, inclusive development and Assam's growth remaining central to their efforts.