Administrative divisions of Assam

2021-08-06T13:51:32Z

2409:4065:E0C:FAA4:F0C9:1DAD:58EB:3CC0: /* Current divisions */

{{short description|Regional divisions in Assam}}
[[File:Divisions of Assam.svg|thumb|300px|{{center|The five divisions of Assam}}]]
The state of [[Assam]] in India has five regional divisions, each comprising a number of districts. The person responsible for the administration of a division is designated as a ''Divisional Commissioner''.
== History ==
{{Location map+ |India Assam|float=right |width=300 |caption={{center|Location of the oldest urban centres recognised as a municipality region of Assam before 1947.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.unil.ch/files/live/sites/igu-urban/files/shared/Manta.pdf|title=Urbanisation and Growth of Small Towns in Assam, India|work=Rinku Manta, Research Scholar, Deptt. of Geography - Gauhati University and Dr. Jnanshree Borah, Associate Professor, Deptt. of Geography: Arya Vidyapeeth and Cotton College - Gauhati University|date=2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pL_GfLfK3lYC&q=permanent+centres+of+commerce&pg=PA1|title=Report on the Administration of North East India|work=K. M. Mittal|date=1921}}</ref>}}|places=
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=27.48|long=95.00|label_size=80 |label=[[Dibrugarh]]|position=left}}
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=26.02|long=90.00|label_size=80 |label=[[Dhubri]]|position=bottom}}
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=26.17|long=90.62|label_size=80 |label=[[Goalpara]]|position=top}}
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=26.52|long=93.97|label_size=80 |label=[[Golaghat]]|position=right}}
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=26.17|long=91.75|label_size=80|label=[[Guwahati]]|position=top}}
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=26.75|long=94.22|label_size=80 |label=[[Jorhat]]|position=left}}
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=26.35|long=92.67|label_size=80 |label=[[Nagaon]]|position=right}}
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=26.63|long=92.8|label_size=80 |label=[[Tezpur]]|position=left}}
{{Location map~ |India Assam|lat=24.82|long=92.8|label_size=80 |label=[[Silchar]]|position=right}}
}}
In 1874, Assam was constituted as a ''Chief Commissioner's province'' with the seat of the government in [[Shillong]], the erstwhile capital of Assam, which is now in [[Meghalaya]]. To better administer the six districts of Goalpara, Kamrup, Sonitpur, Nagaon (formerly, Nowgong), Sivasagar (formerly, Sibsagar) and Lakhimpur, (the districts in the Brahmaputra valley, also called [[Assam Valley]]), the Judge of Assam Valley was given the additional charge of a commissioner in 1880.<ref>"In 1879, Sir Bayley, therefore, proposed to the Government of India that the Judge of Assam Valley to be the ex-officio Commissioner of Assam Valley. High Court objected to the proposal. But Government of India approved the scheme and the Chief Commissioner invested the Judge of Assam with the powers of a Commissioner of a Division." {{harv|Bose|1985|p=32}}</ref> In 1905, the offices of the Judge and the Commissioner were segregated in the Assam Valley;<ref>{{harv|Bose|1985|p=33}}</ref> in addition to adding a separate Commissioner's office for the administration of the Hill Districts and Surma Valley.<ref>{{harv|Bose|1985|p=36}}</ref>
==List of divisions==
===Historical divisions (until 2015)===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:86%"
|-
! Division Name !! Divisional Office !! Districts
|-
| [[Hills and Barak Valley Division|Hills and Barak Valley]] || [[Dispur]] || [[Cachar district|Cachar]], [[Dima Hasao district|Dima Hasao]], [[Hailakandi district|Hailakandi]], [[Karbi Anglong district|Karbi Anglong]], and [[Karimganj district|Karimganj]]
|-
| [[Lower Assam Division|Lower Assam]] || [[Guwahati]] || [[Baksa district|Baksa]], [[Barpeta district|Barpeta]], [[Bongaigaon district|Bongaigaon]], [[Chirang district|Chirang]], [[Dhubri district|Dhubri]], [[Goalpara district|Goalpara]], [[Nalbari district|Nalbari]], [[Kamrup Metropolitan district|Kamrup Metropolitan]], [[Kamrup district|Kamrup Rural]], and [[Kokrajhar district|Kokrajhar]]
|-
| [[North Assam Division|North Assam]] || [[Tezpur]] || [[Darrang district|Darrang]], [[Morigaon district|Morigaon]], [[Nagaon district|Nagaon]], [[Sonitpur district|Sonitpur]], and [[Udalguri district|Udalguri]]
|-
| [[Upper Assam Division|Upper Assam]] || [[Jorhat]] || [[Dhemaji district|Dhemaji]], [[Dibrugarh district|Dibrugarh]], [[Golaghat district|Golaghat]], [[Jorhat district|Jorhat]], [[Lakhimpur district|Lakhimpur]], [[Sivasagar district|Sivasagar]], and [[Tinsukia district|Tinsukia]]
|}

===Current divisions===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:86%"
|-
! Division Name !! Divisional Office !! Districts
!Population
!Area
|-
| [[Hills and Barak Valley (B V)Division|Barak Valley]] || [[Silchar]] || [[Cachar district|Cachar]], [[Hailakandi district|Hailakandi]], and [[Karimganj district|Karimganj]]
|3,612,581
|
|-
| [[Central Assam Division|Hills and Central Assam]] || [[Nagaon]] || [[Dima Hasao district|Dima Hasao]], [[Hojai district|Hojai]], [[East Karbi Anglong district|East Karbi Anglong]], [[West Karbi Anglong district|West Karbi Anglong]], [[Morigaon district|Morigaon]], and [[Nagaon district|Nagaon]]
|5,894,460
|
|-
| [[Lower Assam Division|Lower Assam]] || [[Guwahati]] || [[Baksa district|Baksa]], [[Barpeta district|Barpeta]], [[Bajali district|Bajali]], [[Bongaigaon district|Bongaigaon]], [[Chirang district|Chirang]], [[Dhubri district|Dhubri]], [[Goalpara district|Goalpara]], [[Nalbari district|Nalbari]], [[Kamrup Metropolitan district|Kamrup Metropolitan]], [[Kamrup district|Kamrup Rural]], [[Kokrajhar district|Kokrajhar]], and [[South Salmara-Mankachar district|South Salmara-Mankachar]], [[Tamulpur]]
|13,179,980
|
|-
| [[North Assam Division|North Assam]] || [[Tezpur]] || [[Biswanath district|Biswanath]], [[Darrang district|Darrang]], [[Sonitpur district|Sonitpur]], and [[Udalguri district|Udalguri]]
|4,246,834
|
|-
| [[Upper Assam Division|Upper Assam]] || [[Jorhat]] || [[Charaideo district|Charaideo]], [[Dhemaji district|Dhemaji]], [[Dibrugarh district|Dibrugarh]], [[Golaghat district|Golaghat]], [[Jorhat district|Jorhat]], [[Lakhimpur district|Lakhimpur]], [[Majuli district|Majuli]], [[Sivasagar district|Sivasagar]], and [[Tinsukia district|Tinsukia]]
|7,840,943
|
|}
<ref>{{harv|Press Trust of India2015}}</ref>

===Proposed divisions (new)===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:86%"
|-
! Division Name !! Divisional Office !! Districts
|-
| [[Assam Hills]] || [[Diphu]] || [[Dima Hasao district|Dima Hasao]], [[East Karbi Anglong district|East Karbi Anglong]], and [[West Karbi Anglong district|West Karbi Anglong]]
|-
| [[Barak Valley]] || [[Silchar]] || [[Cachar district|Cachar]], [[Hailakandi district|Hailakandi]], and [[Karimganj district|Karimganj]]
|-
| [[Bodoland]] || [[Kokrajhar]] || [[Baksa district|Baksa]], [[Chirang district|Chirang]], [[Kokrajhar district|Kokrajhar]], and [[Udalguri district|Udalguri]]
|-
| [[Central Assam]] || [[Nagaon]] || [[Hojai district|Hojai]], [[Morigaon district|Morigaon]], and [[Nagaon district|Nagaon]]
|-
| [[Kamrup region|Kamrup]] || [[Guwahati]] || [[Darrang district|Darrang]], [[East Kamrup district|East Kamrup]], [[Kamrup Metropolitan district|Kamrup Metropolitan]], [[Kamrup Rural district|Kamrup Rural]], and [[South Kamrup district|South Kamrup]]
|-
| [[Lower Assam]] || [[Bongaigaon]] || [[Barpeta district|Barpeta]], [[Bajali district|Bajali]], [[Bongaigaon district|Bongaigaon]], [[Dhubri district|Dhubri]], [[Goalpara district|Goalpara]], [[Nalbari district|Nalbari]], and [[South Salmara-Mankachar district|South Salmara-Mankachar]]
|-
| [[North Assam]] || [[Tezpur]] || [[Biswanath district|Biswanath]], [[Lakhimpur district|Lakhimpur]], and [[Sonitpur district|Sonitpur]]
|-
| [[Upper Assam]] || [[Jorhat]] ||[[Charaideo district|Charaideo]], [[Dhemaji district|Dhemaji]], [[Dibrugarh district|Dibrugarh]], [[Golaghat district|Golaghat]], [[Jorhat district|Jorhat]], [[Majuli district|Majuli]], [[Sivasagar district|Sivasagar]], and [[Tinsukia district|Tinsukia]]
|}

==Municipal corporations==
===Municipal corporation (present)===
* [[Guwahati]]

===Municipal corporation (proposed)===

* [[Silchar]]
*Dibrugarh
*
<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1161222/jsp/northeast/story_126084.jsp#.WOeV1BIrIch|title=Citizens submit memo to Sonowal, ''The Telegraph (Calcutta – Gauhati)''|work=Avik Chakraborty|date=21 December 2016|access-date=21 December 2016}}</ref>

==Oldest recognised and constantly inhabited urban areas==
The list of the oldest urban areas based on the earliest years of formation of the civic bodies,<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.unil.ch/files/live/sites/igu-urban/files/shared/Manta.pdf|title=Urbanisation and Growth of Small Towns in Assam, India|work=Rinku Manta, Research Scholar, Deptt. of Geography - Gauhati University and Dr. Jnanshree Borah, Associate Professor, Deptt. of Geography: Arya Vidyapeeth and Cotton College - Gauhati University|date=2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pL_GfLfK3lYC&q=permanent+centres+of+commerce&pg=PA1|title=Report on the Administration of North East India|work=K. M. Mittal|date=1921}}</ref> constituted before [[Indian Independence Act 1947|India's Independence of 1947]].
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:86%"
! Type || Formation period||| Urban areas
|-
| [[Nagar Palika|Municipal board region]] || [[Independence Day (India)|Prior to India's independence in 1947]] ||
{{div col|small=no|colwidth=22em}}
# [[Guwahati]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mJroCwAAQBAJ|title=Economics Of Informal Milk Producing Units In Assam <br> – Guwahati municipal region, 1853, reconstituted 1873.'' |first=Dr Jugal|last=Saikia|date=8 April 2016|publisher=Notion Press|access-date=5 August 2016|via=Google Books|isbn=9789352069385 }}</ref>
# [[Dibrugarh]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dibrugarhmunicipality.org.in/|title=Dibrugarh Municipal Board – ''Dibrugarh municipal region, 1873.''|access-date=2017-04-07|archive-date=2016-06-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611150105/http://dibrugarhmunicipality.org.in/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
# [[Goalpara]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goalparamb.org.in/Aboutus.html|title=Goalpara Municipal Board-About Us – ''Goalpara municipal region, 1875.''}}</ref>
# [[Dhubri]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhubrimb.org.in/|title=Dhubri Municipal Board – ''Dhubri municipal region, 1883.''}}</ref>
# [[Nagaon]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nagaon.gov.in/hist.html|title=Nagaon – History – ''Nagaon municipal region, 1893.''|access-date=2017-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418063334/http://nagaon.gov.in/hist.html|archive-date=2018-04-18|url-status=dead}}</ref>
# [[Tezpur]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tezpurmb.co.in/AboutMunicipalBoard.aspx|title=About Municipal Board – Tezpur – ''Tezpur municipal region|access-date=2017-04-07|archive-date=2016-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624164612/http://www.tezpurmb.co.in/AboutMunicipalBoard.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>
# [[Jorhat]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jorhatmunicipalboard.org/jorhat_municipal_board.php|title=Jorhat Municipal Board(JBM), Jorhat, Assam – ''Jorhat municipal region, 1909''|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327181336/http://jorhatmunicipalboard.org/jorhat_municipal_board.php|archive-date=2016-03-27}}</ref>
# [[Golaghat]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150119/jsp/northeast/story_9079.jsp#.V0OXAZMrIcg|title=AGP lists civic poll candidates – ''Golaghat municipal region, 1920''|access-date=5 August 2016}}</ref>
# [[Silchar]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://silchartoday.com/silchar/silchar-municipal-board-silchar-municipality-assam/|title=Silchar Municipal Board (Silchar Municipality) Assam – Silchar Karimganj Hailakandi – ''Silchar municipal region, 1922''|access-date=5 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728100952/http://silchartoday.com/silchar/silchar-municipal-board-silchar-municipality-assam/|archive-date=28 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{div col end}}
|}

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Bose |first=M L |title=Development of Administration in Assam |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |location=New Delhi |year=1985}}
* {{cite newsgroup |author=Press Trust of India |title=Assam reorganises different divisions |date=October 31, 2015 |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/assam-reorganises-different-divisions-115103101125_1.html |access-date=November 1, 2015}}
{{refend}}
[[Category:Divisions of Assam| ]]
[[Category:Assam-related lists]]

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Administrative divisions of Assam