Decides to have “more dialogue and consultations” with tribe based apex organizations
Dimapur, January 3 (MExN): The Nagaland State Cabinet once again met to discuss the ongoing storm around the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and has decided that the “process of election to the ULBs as notified should be completed.”
This was informed in a press communiqué from Principal Secretary, Department of Municipal Affairs, Menukhol John, following a meeting of the State Cabinet held at the Dimapur residence of the Chief Minister of Nagaland this evening. The Cabinet discussed in detail the issues raised by various bodies regarding the ULB election.
It concluded that reservation for women in the ULBs was “made a Constitutional obligation by the Parliament through Article 243 T and which came into force in 1993 and that reservation for women did not come into force through any Act of the State. Moreover, Nagaland Municipal Act passed by the State is only to carry out the Constitutional mandate and give effect to Article 243 T.”
The Cabinet also noted that it would be “in the best interest” of the people and the State to go ahead with the elections to the ULBs with 33% reservation for women as passed by the State Government in 2006. It also stressed to give mandate to Article 243 T “which, as it is, has already been in force since 1993, and since it has been found in the last more than two decades that Article 243 T has never infringed on the rights of the Nagas as enshrined in Article 371 A and that holding of elections to the ULBs with 33% reservation for women too, would not infringe on Article 371 A of the Constitution of India.”
One of the points of the Cabinet’s discussions focused on whether withholding elections to the ULBs on grounds that it would “infringe upon Article 371-A, as held earlier by the State Government, would stand legal scrutiny given the fact that we had already provided 25% for women quota in the VDBs.”
The Nagaland State Government Cabinet also found that the non holding of elections to the ULBs in the last 10 years has had “adverse effects on the Towns and Municipalities in matters of development and local self-Governance, and to further keep the elections in abeyance would do more harm than good to these ULBs.” It was discussed today whether holding of elections to the ULBs have “anything at all to do with the traditional practices of the Naga people considering the fact that townships and Municipalities are new concepts and not something to do with traditional or customary practices of the Naga people.”
Thus, for “better understanding,” the Government of Nagaland has decided to have “more dialogue and consultations” with tribe based apex organizations in the days to come.
