Morung Express News
Kohima | March 9
“The elections to the ULBs should be conducted as per the 74th Amendment Act of the Constitution of India,” was the resolution adopted on the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) election with 33% women reservation today.
A consultative meeting of all stakeholders including mass based civil society, church organisations, tribal hohos, political parties and NGOs was held at State Banquet Hall on March 9 on the invitation of the state government to discuss on Naga peace process and ULB election.
Informing this to media personnel at a press briefing this evening at Secretariat conference hall, Advisor, Mmhonlumo Kikon said there was a consensus on the need to hold ULB election as the people need development in the state.
He said participants were ‘agreeable to reservation too’ adding ‘this is a common combined outcry of the people today.’
When asked if it has been 100% accepted by all participants, Kikon commented ‘the question doesn’t arise’ and that ‘everybody who was present raised their hands, not once but twice on the resolution.’
Although there were some confusions on urban taxation, he claimed that ‘there was a collective understanding’ following the explanation and clarification not only by the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy CM Y Patton and UDA Chairperson TR Zeliang but also by the Advocate General of the state, KN Balgopal.
Mention may be made that the Supreme Court of India, on February 22, took the state government to task over what it termed as ‘lackadaisical attitude’ towards implementing 33% reservation in the ULBs. The Court had granted six weeks’ time to the state, wherein the next hearing has been scheduled for April 12.
It was learned that Balgopal dwelled on the legal aspect of the 74th constitutional amendment and proceeding in the courts over the years vis-à-vis the Supreme Court direction to the state government on the non implementation of the reservation in ULB, and to come out with a tangible solution to implement the same.
Govt will comply with Court’s order
“We are following the order of the Supreme Court, and state government had already had several meetings following a cabinet meeting,” according to Kikon.
The consultative meeting today, he maintained is one part of the processes of responding to the court’s directives. “If we don’t have consultative meetings, and we go ahead with the election, the citizens won’t participate and we will have another issue, and we have to be prepared with all these processes,” Kikon further stated.
“Responding to the SC order, we have to be prepared with all these processes— one is consultative meeting and the other is government decision. The government will always comply with the court’s order,” he maintained.
On when the ULB election would be held, Kikon responded, “let us first put in motion the necessary process like preparation of e-roll, and in a few weeks time we will get the information.”
Consultative meetings are for specific reasons
Queried on the many consultative meetings, he remarked that the meetings are held “because our government believes in taking every section of the society along with us.”
Terming the resolution as very positive, Kikon maintained “we don’t have meaningless consultations. It is for specific reasons....and it is important because any outcome is going to impact the people.”
On the Naga political issue too, he commented, “if we don’t consult, we won’t be able to put across the voice of the people to the negotiating parties.”
Minister, Neiba Kronu also maintained that though a meeting was held earlier, it was ‘not satisfactory’ as major political parties like the NPF and others could not attend. However, he added that this is the first meeting after an opposition-less government was formed.
