Assam launches participatory City Action Plans to overhaul urban governance across 10 cities

The Assam Government on Thursday formally launched the Participatory City Action Plans (CAPs) under the Doh Shaher Ek Rupayan Programme, setting in motion a major push to reshape urban governance across ten rapidly expanding cities — Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, North Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Tezpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Dhubri and Silchar.

Initiated in 2024, the programme aims to embed citizen-centric, accountable and coordinated urban development practices, positioning these cities as pivotal engines of Assam’s economic transformation. At an event held this morning, Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah released the CAPs prepared by eight cities through extensive ward-level consultations led by Ward Commissioners. The plans were shaped with inputs from Municipal Councils, District Commissioners, SHGs under NULM, and thematic sub-committees of the Municipal Planning Committees.

The newly launched CAPs outline development priorities for the next two to three years, covering key sectors such as solid waste management, drinking water, sanitation, public infrastructure, blue-green initiatives, streetlighting, traffic management and urban planning. The government has also introduced clear performance indicators to monitor the progress of each city.

Officials said the initiative marks a significant milestone in building transparent and participatory urban governance systems in Assam. The launch event saw the presence of MLAs, mayors and chairpersons of all ten cities, alongside senior representatives from the Department of Housing & Urban Affairs, AUIDFCL, Janaagraha and partner organisations.

According to the government, the programme will institutionalise participatory planning, enhance inter-departmental coordination and encourage cities to continuously improve, ultimately elevating the quality of life for residents across urban Assam.