Assam Assembly Passes Bill to Provincialise Municipal Board Employees

The Assam Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed The Assam Municipal Employees (Provincialisation) Bill, 2025, aimed at bringing municipal board employees under the state government’s payroll. The legislation was passed by a voice vote in the assembly.

Assam's Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, who introduced the bill in the assembly earlier today, stated that urban local bodies have so far been responsible for appointing employees and disbursing their salaries. The new legislation seeks to ensure salary parity and timely disbursement of wages directly from the state exchequer.

The bill covers employees appointed by municipal boards on or before September 4, 2013. However, they will be treated as fresh appointees from the date of provincialisation. Baruah clarified that this move will provincialise the services of individuals rather than create a cadre for the posts they hold. 

During the discussion, MLA Akhil Gogoi raised concerns over the absence of “pay protection,” arguing that existing employees would face salary reductions as they would be considered recruits. Responding to the concerns, Baruah stated that pay protection is not admissible under the provisions of the bill.

With the bill’s passage, as many as 1,044 employees from 71 urban local bodies will benefit from provincialization. The Assam Municipal Employees Act, 2021, enacted on May 31, 2021, had earlier been introduced to provide service benefits to municipal employees appointed before September 4, 2013, in 71 ULBs, excluding Sixth Schedule areas.