Dimapur, July 24 (MExN): The petition filed by the CPO was heard on July 19 before a bench of five judges in the Guwahati High Court, where the court found some ambiguity with regards to the earlier stand of the Delimitation Commission on the delimitation exercise in Nagaland.
A press statement issued by the two petitioners; CPO President, Yesonu Veyie and Theja Therieh, said that at the hearing, a letter written by the Under Secretary of the Delimitation Commission to the Associate members was placed before the court by the council for the petitioner. “The Hon’ble court finds some ambiguity with regards to the earlier stand of the Commission in the order dated 27.06.2007. Whereas, the council for the Delimitation Commission express lack of any instruction to place before the court,” the two petitioners stated. In this regard, the two petitioner said that the Commission in its statement on June 27, before the court “stands” that the Delimitation Commission had taken a decision not to alter the number of seats in each district but to restructure the boundaries of each of the constituencies within the district.
“Whereas, the letter dated 12.07.2007 mentions about recommendation of the official team who had earlier visited the state of Nagaland that the Delimitation may use tribal population as the basis and not the total population of 2001 census,” the two petitioners pointed out.
In this connection, the petitioners said, “The Delimitation Commission is asked to give their precise stand as on date with regards to the allocation of number of seats in each district as well as the territorial boundaries of constituencies of each district of the State in the form of additional affidavit.”
The Court directed the Delimitation Commission, as an interim measure, not to publish the final notification under section under section 10 (2) of the Delimiation Act 2002 for a period of four weeks, the two petitioners stated.
The two petitioners stated that the matter, however, was adjourned to August 16, and hoped that the PIL may be disposed of finally on that day. The two petitioners further said that the CPO have nothing adverse about the process of delimitation, however, they said that it will continue its struggle till the controversial 2001 census is cancelled or rectified.
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