In a push towards improving governance and accountability, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) has announced a series of key decisions, including the formation of a dedicated vigilance body to monitor corruption and administrative lapses across its departments.
The decisions were taken during a meeting of the Executive Council (EC) held at the BTC Secretariat on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary, who later briefed the media on the outcomes.
At the centre of the announcements is the proposed ‘BTC Chief Vigilance and Monitoring Committee’, which will function as a watchdog over the council’s administrative machinery. Mohilary said the committee will look into complaints of corruption, bribery, and irregularities in various departments under BTC.
Apart from probing corruption-related issues, the committee will also monitor the functioning of government offices. It will examine complaints such as officials not attending offices on time and lapses in duty. Regular inspections and reviews will be carried out to ensure that departments function efficiently and remain accountable to the public.
“The idea is to bring more transparency and discipline into the system,” Mohilary said, adding that the mechanism will be similar to the vigilance structure followed by the Assam Government.
In another major decision, the Executive Council approved a one-time compensation package for landowners affected by land acquisition at Malgaon. As per the plan, owners of patta (legally registered) land will receive compensation ranging between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 8 lakh, while those occupying khas (government) land will be given Rs 2.5 lakh each.
The move is expected to provide relief to several families who had been awaiting compensation after their land was taken over for development purposes.
The BTC Chief also announced a welfare measure for media professionals working in the region. Journalists in the BTC area will now be extended the same benefits and welfare schemes that are currently available to journalists under the Assam Government.
This step, officials say, recognises the role of journalists in the region and aims to provide them with better support and security.
Overall, the decisions reflect BTC’s attempt to tighten administrative control, address public grievances more effectively, and extend welfare support to different sections of society.
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