SILCHAR | Silchar’s first Municipal Corporation formally began its five-year term on Thursday, with Mayor Amarendra Paul, Deputy Mayor Bijendra Prasad Singh and newly elected councillors taking the oath of office amid expectations of improved civic administration and a renewed push to address the town’s longstanding urban problems.

The swearing-in ceremony at Rajiv Bhawan marked a significant milestone in Silchar’s civic history, which dates back to 1882.

Addressing the gathering, Mayor Amarendra Paul identified the mitigation of waterlogging as the foremost priority of his tenure. He sought the cooperation of residents in tackling the persistent problem, which affects several parts of the town, particularly during the monsoon.

Deputy Mayor Bijendra Prasad Singh stressed the need for corruption-free and transparent municipal administration, saying the convenience of citizens should be the principal measure of efficient governance. Announcing his first initiative, Singh said he would work towards ensuring that death certificates are made available to bereaved families at the cremation grounds itself, sparing them repeated visits to municipal offices during difficult times.

He said public cooperation and collective efforts would guide the corporation throughout its five-year tenure of 1,825 days. Barak Valley Development Department Minister Krishnendu Paul also called for transparent and corruption-free civic administration, echoing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s emphasis on accountability in public services.

He said residents should not face unnecessary difficulties in accessing municipal facilities and stressed that documents and certificates must be provided through a transparent and hassle-free process. Identifying traffic congestion, waterlogging and improper garbage disposal as major challenges, the minister called for coordinated efforts to improve urban infrastructure and civic services. He also suggested that the new leadership draw on the experience of former Silchar civic board chairperson Sushmita Dev.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Kaushik Rai assured the new corporation of the state government’s cooperation and urged elected representatives to rise above political considerations and work collectively as ‘Team Silchar Municipal Corporation’.

Rai announced that municipal application forms would be provided free of cost and that efforts would be made to accelerate online services to improve public access. He said the guiding vision of the new administration should be a clean, congestion-free and well-maintained Silchar.

Reservation system for mayoral posts

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions will follow a rotational reservation system. Both posts will remain open during the first five-year term. The subsequent terms will be reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women, respectively, before returning to the open category after the completion of the 20-year cycle.

Silchar MP Parimal Suklabaidya, Rajya Sabha MP Kanad Purkayastha and MLAs Rajdeep Goala, Kishor Nath and Dr Rajdeep Roy also took oath as ex-officio members of the corporation. Following the ceremony, ministers, MPs, MLAs and councillors paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and the language martyrs at Gandhi Bagh Park.

With its first elected municipal corporation now in place, Silchar faces the challenge of translating promises into tangible improvements. The new administration’s performance on waterlogging, traffic congestion, waste management and delivery of basic civic services will be crucial in determining its success.