A Brief Profile

The North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) is the administrative body having partial legislative and executive jurisdiction over the district of Dima Hasao in Assam. This body has been accorded such powers over the district through the provisions enshrined in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution that were promulgated due to the need for a section of comparatively backward tribals with unique cultural and linguistic identities to have their own administrative set-up that would be in tune with their own traditional systems. The Council is comprised of elected members from 28 Autonomous Council constituencies who are called Members of Autonomous Council (MAC) and enjoy a term of 5 years. The officers of the NCHAC are recruited through recruitment processes conducted by the Council itself but the state also deputes officers of the Assam Civil Service (ACS) and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadres to the Council at various secretarial capacities. 

Historical Background

Dima Hasao was an integral part of the Cachari Kingdom of old and was inhabited by the Dimasa Kacharis as well as by a myriad of other tribal groups like the Zeme Nagas, Hmars, Kukis, Hrangkhols, Karbis etc. who are extant to this day within the district. When the British arrived, this hill district along with adjacent Karbi Anglong were declared as 'partially excluded areas' and, therefore, official legislation did not apply or were applied with modifications as the case may be. On the eve of Independence, various delegations from these two districts made representations before the Bordoloi Committee for a separate autonomous administrative set-up for the safeguard of tribals who were culturally, ethnically and linguistically distinct from the people of the plains. Consequently, the Government of India passed the bill in Lok Sabha in the year 1951 and Sri. Rajendra Prasad, His Excellency the President of India, finally assented to the creation of United Mikir and North Cachar Hills District with two autonomous councils with a certain degree of autonomy over matters pertaining to land & revenue, customary laws, village governance etc. It was in 1951 that the first ever Council was constituted through elections across the district and was marshalled by Late C.H. Khawthlang, the first ever Chief Executive Member of NCHAC. The district of United Mikir and North Cachar Hills district then was bifurcated into two separate districts named as "Mikir Hills" and North Cachar Hills district in the year 1970. The district's name was then altered in 2010 and was renamed 'Dima Hasao' meaning 'Dimasa Hills' in the Dimasa language though the erstwhile nomenclature of North Cachar Hills is retained in the name of the council. 

Administrative Structure

The administrative structure of NC Hills Autonomous Council is similar to that of the state administration in its essence. It comprises of an autonomous council constituted through elections of MACs (Members of Autonomous Councils) every five years which functions like a legislative assembly having legislative and executive powers and convening at the NCHAC Secretariat located in Haflong. From among these MACs, an executive body emerges headed by a CEM (Chief Executive Member), whose role is akin to that of the Chief Minister and has the rank of a state Cabinet Minister, and Executive Members (EMs) whose roles are akin to that of cabinet ministers and have the rank of ministers-of-state. All the subjects over which the NCHAC has jurisdiction are divided among members of this executive body called Executive Council. The permanent executive, on the other hand, is headed by two Principal Secretaries, one who looks after the inherent subjects and is named Principal Secretary (Normal), and one who looks after the entrusted subjects and is named Principal Secretary (Transferable) who is deputed by the state government and belongs to the ACS or IAS cadre holding a rank of state Joint Secretary and above. Then there are the Secretaries, Joint Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and Under-Secretaries across both verticals (Normal and Transferable) some of whom are appointed by the NCHAC and some who are deputed by the state from ACS or IAS cadres. All officers of the line departments are placed at the disposal of the Executive Council and executive orders are to be carried out by the permanent executive  who are aided by these officers of the line departments.     

List of Subjects

• Agriculture
• Animal Husbandry & Veterinary
• College Education (General)
• Cooperatives
• Cultural Affairs
• Education (Primary upto level of Higher Secondary; and Adult Education)
• Excise
• Finance including Sales Tax on purchase of goods other than newspapers, excise and professional tax
• Fisheries
• Flood Control
• Food & Civil Supplies
• Forest
• Handloom & Textiles
• Health & Family Welfare
• Industry
• Irrigation
• Land Reforms
• Panchayat & Rural Development including DRDA
• Printing & Stationary
• Public Health Engineering
• Publicity/Public Relations
• PWD
• Sericulture
• Social Welfare
• Soil Conservation
• Sports & Youth Welfare
• Town & Country Planning
• Tourism
• Transport
• Weights & Measures

Members of Autonomous Council

There are 28 Members of Autonomous Council (MAC) constituencies for NCHAC elections. The elections for the same are held every five years and such elections are conducted by the Election Branch of the DC's Office, Dima Hasao. The table below contains the names of the current elected MACs of NCHAC along with the names of their respective constituencies: