Kohima, Nov 21 (PTI) Three municipal bodies in Nagaland on Sunday rejected the state government’s decision for nomination of an advisory council in the urban local bodies (ULBs).
The decision of the three municipal associations Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF), Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayat (AKMWP) and All Ward Union Mokokchung Town (AWUMT) was taken during the first meeting of the three municipal bodies here on Sunday.
Sessional chairman and president of AKMWP Thejao Sekhose along with AWUMT president Limanungsang and DUCCF president Tsenthungo Nyamo told reporters here about the decision of the three municipal bodies.
He said the three units under the respective municipalities thoroughly discussed the government notification issued through the Department of Urban Development.
Adopting two point resolutions, the meeting decided not to accept the November 18, 2021 notification issued by the Government of Nagaland for nomination of ULB advisory council, said Sekhose.
They also urged the state government to hold ULB elections at the earliest with due rectification and amendment of the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001, wherever it infringed the Article 371(A) of the Indian Constitution, he said.
On October 26, the state government constituted a five-member committee to study if the Nagaland Municipal Act infringes the Article 371 (A).
However, since the committee would take some time to study the matter before submitting its report, the government had decided to nominate an advisory council to the ULBs for the interim period.
Nonetheless, Sekhose said the government should keep in abeyance the formation of an advisory council to the ULBs and instead conduct the ULB elections at the earliest without any bias by hearing the voice of the people.
“We found that some chapters of the Municipal Act 2001 infringe the Article 371(A) of the Constitution, so we want the government to rectify all those clauses and conduct the municipal elections at the earliest, he said but refused to divulge the chapters saying that the government knows it better.