National People’s Party (NPP) has opposed the State government’s move to nominate members to urban local bodies (ULBs).
The party in a release said ULBs implied governance of an urban area, including municipalities, by the people through their elected representatives.
However, considering the constitutional provisions and functioning of ULBs in India, the party accused the State government of bypassing a prerequisite entity of a democratic set-up, which was conducting free and fair elections to these bodies, including Dimapur Municipal Council and Kohima Municipal Council.
NPP termed the recent announcement by planning & coordination, parliamentary affairs and land revenue minister Neiba Kronu that the State government had decided to nominate members to ULBs for an interim period as highly questionable and objectionable as it was neither constitutional nor democratic.
It said the pretext of averting a showdown vis-à-vis the contentious issue of 33% reservation for women in the ULBs not only showed the inability of the government to solve crucial law and order issues, but also revealed its incompetency in understanding the ground realities of the grassroots politics of which ULBs were integral components.
“How can we expect democracy to prevail when local self-governance is not possible in principle?” the party asked.
Asserting that nomination to ULBs was totally undemocratic in nature as only a few selected individuals finding favour with their political bosses would be appointed as members, NPP warned that this would not only give rise to nepotism and favouritism to prevail, but also lead to more corruption that was at the very root of poor development in Nagaland.
The party cautioned that there would be total lack of accountability and an increase in the misappropriation of public money collected as revenue by the ULBs. This arbitrary decision of the State government without consultation with the stakeholders would create more discrepancies and dissatisfaction in various quarters, for which the State government would be solely held accountable, it added.
NPP also termed the move as highly suspicious at this juncture considering the fact that the State Assembly elections were scheduled next year and wherein the ruling party and its allies might make the best possible use of a favourable position of their parties and candidates in the municipal areas like Dimapur.
Therefore, condemning in strongest terms the “unethical and unconstitutional” decision of the State government, the party urged the civic bodies, tribal hohos, student bodies and like-minded individuals to raise their voice against such unreasonable and biased steps taken by the government that could jeopardise healthy democracy and polity of the State.
Further, it also called upon the State government to immediately conduct fresh elections to the ULBs so that people’s belief and faith in democratic principles were reinstated.