Guwahati, Jan 22: Administrative operations across 35 District Commissioners’ offices, 39 Co-District Commissioners’ offices, and 80 Circle Offices in Assam have come to a standstill as over 12,000 district administration employees staged a total non-cooperation protest against “inter-district transfer” of the members of the employees.
The agitation, led by the All Assam District Administration Employees Union (AADAEU), is in response to the controversial inter-district transfer of employees, which the union claims is a violation of service rules.
Jayanta Bhandar Kayastha, general secretary of AADAEU, said, “More than 12,000 members of our Union have refused to perform their duties to protest against unjust transfers, poor working conditions, and other unresolved grievances.”
The flashpoint of the protest was the transfer of Gautam Bhuyan, president of Majuli District AADAEU, from the Majuli District Commissioner’s office to the Jorhat DC office. The Union argues that the transfer breaches the Assam Ministerial Establishment Service Rules, 1967, and a Chief Secretary circular dated May 24, 1979, which explicitly prohibits the transfer of union leaders such as the president, secretary, and finance secretary from district headquarters.
The AADAEU’s steering committee issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Chief Secretary on January 18, demanding an unconditional withdrawal of the transfer order. With no response from the government by the January 21 deadline, the Union proceeded with its non-cooperation strike on January 22.
“The government has been using district administration employees for health, education, and VIP programmes while neglecting their legitimate demands. Imposing inter-district transfers in violation of established rules is unacceptable,” Kayastha asserted.
The Union has warned of an escalation in protest actions if their demands are not met. A renewed phase of non-cooperation is scheduled for January 24 if the transfer order remains in effect.
Dut to the non-cooperation, essential administrative services have been disrupted across the state, putting pressure on the state government to resolve the standoff ahead of the Republic Day celebrations.
