Shortly after midnight, we concluded the two-day District Commissioners’ Conference in Jorhat: over 27 hours of rigorous deliberations with Ministers, DCs and senior officers, covering 15 departments. My message was clear: our DCs must shed the vestiges of a colonial administrative mindset and bring the discipline, efficiency and professionalism of the private sector to public service. Technology and AI must become integral to everyday governance. Each DC will now convene meetings with line departments to ensure every directive reaches field officers without delay and translates into action. Assam’s districts must compete to excel.

I expect every DC to work towards making their district the finest in the country. Alongside these discussions, I also cleared over 85 files and wrote over 34 Notes and letters to dignitaries The day-to-day work of governance must keep pace with the reforms we pursue. These deliberations will deliver tangible changes on the ground. That is the commitment we leave Jorhat with. The weight of the mandate is now with the administration and they must rise to the occasion. I’ll share a more detailed reflection on my Substack soon.

~ Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, CM, Assam