In an administrative move aimed at tightening coordination across state governance, ministers in Assam have been directed to keep local legislators fully informed about official field visits, public functions, and government engagements within their respective constituencies. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma issued this directive through a formal communication sent to all cabinet members on Friday, emphasizing the essential requirement for systematic collaboration between the executive council and elected representatives on the ground.
Dissatisfaction Over Lack of Communication With Elected Representatives
The chief minister expressed dissatisfaction after observing multiple instances where legislators were left completely uninformed about ministerial tours taking place in their constituencies. Official reviews revealed that several ministers had conducted field visits without notifying the local MLAs or involving them in relevant local activities. Taking note of these operational gaps, the chief minister highlighted that bypassing local representatives during constituency-level government work undermines cohesive governance.
Advance Notice for Tours and Invitations to Public Functions
Under the guidance issued on Friday, ministers must give advance notice to local legislators before embarking on visits to their areas. Furthermore, ministers have been instructed to extend formal invitations to MLAs for any public programmes and state functions scheduled within their legislative boundaries. Sarma clarified that this standard applies broadly across departmental activities: even when an MLA is not required to take part in internal departmental reviews or official sessions, ministers are expected to extend the courtesy of keeping them informed beforehand.
Streamlining Ground Coordination and Programme Execution
The primary objective behind institutionalizing this protocol is to foster closer cooperation between cabinet members and local representatives during government visits and official proceedings. Following this practice consistently is intended to streamline the conduct of administrative programmes and prevent friction between field officials, legislators, and ministry heads. By maintaining clear lines of communication at the constituency level, the state administration aims to ensure that development work and public outreach proceed smoothly across Assam.
