Supreme Court stays HC order on Longsa census

Supreme Court has stayed Gauhati High Court order that had directed fresh Census enumeration of Longsa village Mokokchung district and not to carry out any changes in the electoral rolls of Longsa village pending enumeration.

In a press release, chief electoral officer (CEO), Nagaland J.Alam said the matter was heard on October 1, 2012 by a bench of bench of Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Sudhansu Jyoti Mukhopadhaya. 

With the grant of stay by the Supreme Court, CEO said the election department would be able to carry out the special summery revision of electoral rolls that began with effect from October 1, 2012 in all the polling stations including those of Longsa village.

Longsa village on June 8, 2012 had filed a writ petition in the High Court, Kohima bench against reduction in their population in the provisional census 2011 as well as number in of voters in the electoral rolls in the last summary revision.

On June 11, 2012, Kohima bench had directed that fresh census be conducted in the village within 30 days. The department had appealed against that order of Kohima bench in the division bench. The division bench in its order June 29, 2012 extended the time period for fresh enumeration from 30 days to 90 days.

According to CEO, census department and election department, aggrieved by the Gauhati High Court order, had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the order of the high court vide SLP (C) 28096/2012. CEO said orders of Gauhati high court would have interfered with the directions of the Election Commission of India to conduct special summary revision of electoral rolls in the state w.e.f October 1, 2012.