Cleanest Village of Assam.... Rangsapara Village, Goalpara.

Rangsapara village is under Balijana Block, situated about 16 km from Goalpara town. It was declared Assam’s cleanest village in the year 2016-17 by the Public Health Engineering Department. The thought of cleanliness was imbibed in the year 1990 at the initiative of present village headman Roverth John Momin. The villagers formed a managing committee in 2000 with four resolutions – peace and unity, clean and hygienic toilets, clean drinking water and cleaning the village on Wednesdays by men and on Saturdays by women. This village consists of two parts - Rangsapara and Khawari. It is a Garo village where as per the 2011 census, there were 510 Christian Garo people living in 92 households. Their main food is rice and meat and they love playing football and volleyball. This village was recognized and rewarded by the State Government with Rs 5 lakh which was used for development and welfare activities. The village has pucca sanitary toilets and open defecation is not allowed. The managing committee is also strict regarding cleanliness, alcohol, drugs and use of plastic. Any person violating the rules is fined Rs 5,001. No villager has ever been fined till now and there is also no police case in this village. With a literacy rate of about 70 per cent, the villagers speak languages like English, Garo and Assamese and are mostly farmers, engaging themselves in growing vegetables, paddy and rubber. Only four villagers have government jobs. They have developed a proper waste management system using bamboo-made dustbins, both for bio-degradable and non-bio-degradable waste. Rangsapara village has one primary school, one ME school, Baptist Church and on November 16 and November 17, the Wangala festival is held with fanfare and gaiety. However, there are no medical facilities, no drainage, no high school, no college and no proper drinking water supply. The government’s lackadaisical attitude has caused resentment among the people.