‘Delimitation Working Paper is only for Commission’
Dimapur, March 18 (MExN): Clarifying that the working paper of the delimitation is a guideline only for the commission and that the public would be taken into confidence, the Delimitation Commission today issued a statement to clear air of the spate from conflicting views and opinions evoked by the ongoing delimitation exercise being undertaken in the state.
State Election Commissioner and member of the Delimitation Commission TN Mannen in the statement clarified that the working paper is an internal exercise of the commission based on the guidelines set themselves for their working. According to these guidelines, the commission will hold meetings with Associate Members to consider their suggestions with regard to the working papers. In the light of the suggestions of the Associate Members, draft proposals shall be prepared for publishing in The Gazette with the dissenting notes, if any, Mannen stated. This further will be published in the local newspapers apart from giving widest publicity through the print and electronic media and circulation of copies to the public. A notice will then be issue requesting the public to send their objections and suggestions to the proposal within the specified date. These suggestions will be tabulated and distributed to all members of the commission including Associate Members, after which the Commission will hold public sittings at one or more places “to hear the public in person.”
“Based on the suggestion received in writing as well as orally made at the public sittings, the commission will decide the notifications that are required to be made in draft proposal and prepare a final order. The final order thus prepared will be signed by the commission and published in The Gazette and in two local newspapers in the state. After publishing of the final order, the President of India will notify the date from which the order will come into effect” the commissioner stated.
The Delimitation Commission, constituted under the Delimitation Act 2002, started functioning from July 16, 2002 with Justice Kuldip Singh as chairman. Members include Election Commissioner, India and Commissioner, Nagaland. The Associated Members are five MLAs and Lok Sabha member from Nagaland.
The commission has drawn up comprehensive guidelines and laid down detailed methodologies in respect to its working. As per guidelines, a Working paper-1 was drawn up indicating the need to transfer seats from one district to another on the basis of the Census 2001 population figures.
However associated members disagreed with the paper, that there is strong justification to exempt Nagaland from the exercise. They referred to a memorandum submitted earlier to the chairman as well as Union law Minister for maintaining status quo. The state assembly also adopted a unanimous resolution on December 18, requesting the Union government that the Act be amended to exempt Nagaland, till the earlier resolution passed in the assembly for increasing the number of seats to the Legislative Assembly, is implemented and the ongoing political dialogue is concluded. Also, all recognized political parties in a meeting on August 5, 2004 passed a resolution endorsing the assembly’s decision.
However, the chairman informed in the meeting held with members on November 20 2006 that the commission was not competent to exempt any state but would consider the suggestion of maintaining status quo regarding entitlement of seats in different districts. But limited readjustment among the constituencies within the districts has to be exercised without fail.
.jpg)
