New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted "one last opportunity" to the Central and Nagaland governments for implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the state urban local bodies. A bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and Sudhansu Dhulia was hearing a plea filed by Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) against the Nagaland government and the Nagaland State Election Commission for non-implementation of 1/3rd reservation in municipalities and town councils.
The Supreme Court, on March 14, had directed the state government to conduct the urban local body (ULB) elections, and the State Election Commissioner notified the holding of the elections on May 16.
In the meantime, local body polls were cancelled till further orders by the State Election Commission soon after the Assembly passed the Nagaland Municipal Act (Repeal Act) 2023, repealing the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 in toto following the strong protest against the women reservations in ULBs by the various Naga tribal hohos and civil society.
However, the Supreme Court, while hearing a petition on April 5, stayed the March 30 Nagaland poll panel notification cancelling the ULBs elections in Nagaland. It had also asked Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj to place the stand of the Union government in the matter. In 2017, violent protests forced the government to declare the poll process null and void.
The Supreme Court will continue to hear the plea on September 26.
