DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 2 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister, TR Zeliang on Sunday assured Naga women that the election to the municipal bodies/town councils will go ahead with the 33% women reservation as decided by the State Cabinet. Media Cell, CMO in a press statement said members of Naga Mothers Association (NMA) and Joint Action Committee on Women Reservation (JACWR) had called on the Chief Minister at his official residence to extend appreciation for the bold step taken by him and his cabinet colleagues on women reservation.
The NMA and JACWR members also apprised the Chief Minister on the importance of women reservation to various municipal bodies in the state.
In response, Zeliang told the women representatives that the State Government is firm on its decision and will go ahead as per the Cabinet resolution. He, however, informed that there may be delay on the election by a month or two since the election department has to complete certain election modalities. As per the government plan, the election was scheduled to be held in November but due to various technical problems, it would have to be postponed to either December or January 2017, he said.
The Chief Minister also suggested that that election could be held in phase manner- to conduct election in town where all the necessary formalities has been completed in the first phase, and gradually for other town where town council has been declared recently.
Meanwhile, Zeliang appealed to all concerned not to create misunderstanding out of the reservation issue, but to maintain cordial relationship and work together for the welfare of the state.
“Maintain cordial relationship, don’t create misunderstanding between man and woman out of this issue,” Zeliang told the women representatives, according to the CMO statement. He also called upon the women folks to choose efficient and suitable candidate for the betterment of the society.
