Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 9 (EMN): In a significant development, Nagaland has decided to conduct elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with 33% reservation for women as per the 74th Amendment Act of the Constitution of India.
The decision came two weeks after the Supreme Court directed the state to conduct the election and to enforce women reservation in the state.
The first and only election under the Municipal and Town Council Act of 2001 was conducted in 2004 in the state without reservation for women, which functioned till 2009.
The state government announced polls to the ULB (with 33% women reservation) in 2017 but failed as violent protests erupted, claiming two lives besides damage to public and private properties.
Following the recent order of the Supreme Court to conduct the ULB election within six weeks and to enforce reservation for women in Nagaland, the state government called for a consultative meeting to discuss the contentious issue.
Accordingly, a consultative meeting was held on Wednesday at the State Banquet Hall in Kohima with church organisations, tribal hohos, political parties, NGOs, civil society organisations, and individuals, and the house strongly supported holding ULB elections with women reservation.
“The elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) should be conducted as per the 74th Amendment Act of the Constitution of India,” read the resolution “unanimously” adopted at the meeting.
Briefing media persons after the meeting, the state government’s spokesperson and advisor Mmhonlumo Kikon said: “It was a historic day for the people of Nagaland because everybody has supported and agreed with the 33% women reservation and the conduct of the ULB election.”
‘Everybody (in the house) supported 33% women reservation which was not the case in the past. Because in the past, the ULB election could not be held because of the protest from the civil society organisations,’ he added.
As for the date of the election, he said that information would be out in a few weeks' time. The government would have to “put in motion” what is necessary, he added.
“Consultation today was necessary to comply with the order of the SC because if the government went ahead with the election, the CSOs and citizens will not participate and it would become an issue,” Kikon pointed out.
He went on to add that consultations are done because “our government believes in taking every section of the society along with us and on all decisions that have been made and taken”.
Reiterating the chief minister's statement earlier in the meeting, he said the taxation under the ULB will depend on the town council members, and the tax collected will be utilised by the town council to improve the conditions of their town and not go to the state government, informed an update received here on Wednesday.
The update went on to state that the house also adopted a resolution on Naga political issue.
“The Naga people are yearning for an early political solution. The negotiating parties should earnestly heed to this call and arrive at a political solution that is honourable, inclusive, transparent and acceptable to the people,” read the resolution.
“The House further appeals to all sections to make renewed efforts towards unity and understanding in order to work towards One Solution and One Agreement,” it added.