Kohima, March 15 (MExN): The Deputy Commissioner of Kohima has notified all recognised villages in the district to initiate the process of selecting new Village Council members for the tenure 2026–2031 in accordance with customary practices and usages.
In an official notification, Deputy Commissioner B Henok Buchem said the directive was issued in pursuance of a letter from the Commissioner, Nagaland dated March 10, 2026 and a notification from the Home Department (General Administration Branch–I) dated March 9, 2026.
The order was issued under the powers conferred by Rule 3 of the Nagaland Village and Area Councils Rules, 1979.
According to the notification, the entire process of selection or election of the new Village Council members must be completed before April 25, 2026. The proposed list of members is to be submitted to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima through the respective Area Administrative Officers (AAOs).
The notification stated that the qualification of the Village Council members must be in accordance with Section 5 of the Nagaland Village and Tribal Councils Act, 1978.
It further clarified that the list of newly selected or elected members should contain only the names of the members without specifying designations such as chairman or secretary. The selection of the chairman will take place only after the official approval of the Village Council members by the state government.
Area Administrative Officers have been directed to specify the mode of representation—either by clan or khel—and the method of selection or election according to established customary practices for villages under their jurisdiction.
The AAOs have also been instructed to compile the submissions of all villages under their respective jurisdiction and forward them to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in a consolidated manner in both hard and soft copies.
Each submission must include the village council resolution, meeting minutes and attendance sheets along with contact numbers, duly countersigned by the respective Area Administrative Officer.
Meanwhile, the notification stated that all existing Village Councils within Kohima district stand dissolved with immediate effect.
During the interim period, the Head Gaon Bura (GB) of each village will assume responsibility for village administration until the newly selected Village Council members are officially approved by the state government.
