Motion introduced to revoke Sept 22, 2012 resolution
A motion has been introduced in the 14th session of the 12th NLA on its first day, by parliamentary secretary Municipal Affairs R.Tohanba under Article 371 A (1)(a) of the constitution of India, with regard to 33% women reservation in municipalities .
The motion will seek the adoption of the resolution by the house on November 24,2016(Thursday) for immediate revocation of the resolution earlier passed under Article 371A(1)(a) of the constitution of India on September 22,2012 which exempted Nagaland from the application of Part IX A of the constitution of India in Urban and Local Bodies(ULBs) polls .
NLA Speaker, Chotisuh Sazo said consideration and passing will be held on November 24. He also informed members that any amendments to be made should be submitted on November 23 before 12 noon.
Parliamentary secretary for municipal affairs, economic and statistics R. Tohanba also introduced the Nagaland municipal (third amendment) Bill, 2016.
It was explained that the objective of the bill came after nearly a decade of inconclusive debate and discussion on women reservation in municipal and town councils and for which the state government decided to conduct polls under the provision of the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 with one third reservation for women.
However, Tohanba stated that some tribal bodies pointed out some discrepancies in the NM Act 2001 with respect to reservation of SC/ST and with respect to non-compliance of the Act with Article 371 A (1) (a) of the Indian Constitution in regard to levy and recovery process of taxes on land and buildings.
He said the amendments have been accordingly proposed to the Act through the bill.
The parliamentary secretary further said the provisions in the bill did not involve any recurring or non-recurring expenditure from the consolidated fund of the state therefore the bill was not a money bill or a finance bill.
Review 33% women quota: NH, ENPO
Objecting to the decision of the state government to revoke the September 22, 2012 Assembly resolution on 33% women reservation, during the ongoing Assembly session on Tuesday, Naga Hoho and Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) demanded that the T.R. Zeliang led-government first constitute a committee to review the matter rather than rushing things and creating serious problems in the state.
Talking to Nagaland Post, Naga Hoho president P. Chuba Ozukum cautioned the state government, saying “going against the wishes of the people, would only invite protest”. The government should rather try to resolve the matter in consultation with the people and not undermine the peoples’ will, he added.
Ozukum further said that the state government should first set up a committee to look into the issue and make amendments accordingly after thorough consultation with the stakeholders.
“The government should act as per the wishes of the people and should not allow division amongst men and women,” he said.
On the other hand, ENPO has also demanded that the state government first form a committee—comprising of both men and women from all walks of life, to review the contentious issue and come up with a logical solution rather than dividing the society and making it a gender issue.
ENPO said “the sanctity and power of the NLA should be maintained and should not accept all Central Act which was not applicable to the Nagas”.
Almost all tribal hohos had strongly opposed any move by the government to hold civic polls “in a haste” without resolving various issues with all stakeholders. The point is whether the T.R.Zeliang-led DAN government would bulldoze the concerns of the hohos. Voices from the legal, political and tribal hoho representatives had cautioned the government against taking any hasty decision to hold civic polls for the sake of getting huge grants from the ministry of urban development.
One of the leader had gone to the extent of cautioning that they would consider every democratic means to express their disapproval.
The tribal bodies objecting to the conduct of polls without resolving the concerns included- Ao Senden, Sumi Hoho, CNTC,ENPO, Naga Hoho, CPO, APO, KVC, Medziphema Village Council, while Lotha Hoho had said it would “wait-and-watch.”
It may also be recalled, that the cabinet had decided to hold polls during August after a letter dated April 9, 2016 to chief minister T.R.Zeliang was issued by NMA Advisor Rosemary Dzuvichu. The latter claimed that the Supreme Court in its April 5,2016 order while granting the SPL had ordered holding of civic polls under 33% women reservation.
In the light of observations about the cabinet bypassing the house resolution of September 22,2012 the government decided to reverse the resolution adopted then, which prepared by T.R.Zeliang as then minister of parliamentary affairs.