VCDC Restructuring In BTC Within 3 Months, Irrespective Of Poll Outcome: CM Sarma

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday, asserted that the restructuring of Village Council Development Committees (VCDCs) in the BTC will be carried out within the next two to three months, irrespective of which party forms the next government in the autonomous council.

Speaking at an election campaign programme in Nagrijuli, Sarma said the move is already legally sanctioned through the 125th Constitutional Amendment, making its implementation inevitable. “After the BTC elections, we will definitely conduct the VCDC restructuring. The 125th Amendment has already been passed, and in two to three months the changes will happen, whether the BJP comes to power in BTC or not. This is because the law is enacted at the Lok Sabha level, and the BJP Government is in power there,” he said.

Introduced in the Rajya Sabha in February 2019 and subsequently referred to the Departmental-Related Standing Committee on Home Affairs, the Amendment Bill has reportedly received the Centre’s “approval in principle.” Sarma’s remarks indicate that administrative reforms in the BTC’s village-level governance structure are imminent. “The VCDC reforms are a certainty, and people can expect the changes to come into effect very soon,” he stressed.

Throughout the campaign trail ahead of the BTC polls, the Chief Minister has repeatedly criticised the VCDCs, calling them the root of corruption in the territorial region. Earlier in the day, during a campaign meeting in Suklai Serfang, Sarma highlighted mismanagement in the council, questioning the utilisation of the ₹1,500–2,000 crore allocated annually to the autonomous body. He alleged that despite massive financial inflows, basic infrastructure such as roads remains in poor condition, and several welfare schemes have yet to be implemented.