Kohima, Nov 9 (PTI) The Nagaland Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a bill seeking to reserve 33 per cent of seats in urban local bodies (ULB) for women, resolving a contentious issue and paving the way for municipal elections in the state after two decades.
The provision for one-third reservation of seats in ULBs for women is kept in the bill, as directed by the Supreme Court, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said.
The apex tribal bodies, which had earlier opposed such a reservation, now also accepted it and the State Election Commission (SEC) will announce the dates for municipal polls soon, Rio said.
“This law is not the end, but only a beginning,” the chief minister said.
ULB elections in the northeastern state have been long overdue as the last polls were held in 2004. Since then, elections were not conducted first on the unresolved Naga peace talks and then on 33 per cent reservation for women which the tribal bodies opposed, asserting that it infringes on the special rights for Nagaland guaranteed by Article 371(A) of the Constitution.
The Naga Mothers’ Association, a key civil society organisation, and women legislators expressed happiness over the passage of the bill.
Moving the Nagaland Municipal Bill 2023 in the House during an emergent session, Rio said it has no provisions relating to taxes on land and buildings, as demanded by various quarters.
The provision for one-third reservation of the offices of the chairperson in ULBs for women, which was there in the earlier Municipal Act, has not been included in the bill, he said.
Rio said several attempts were made in the past two decades to hold ULB election in Nagaland, but the government faced some “unfortunate incidents” that led to the drafting of the present bill.
In 2017, when the state government led by T R Zeliang tried to hold the elections, there was violence. Two persons were killed and government properties and offices were damaged. It also led to the fall of the Zeliang ministry.
The Neiphiu Rio-led all-party government in March this year also announced conduct of an election with 33 per cent women reservation. However, following stiff resistance again, the government cancelled the elections.
During its March session, the Assembly repealed the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001, and decided to bring about a new law incorporating the views of the tribal bodies and civil society organisations on 33 per cent women reservation and also tax on land and properties.
A new bill was tabled in the House on September 12 and it was sent to the Select Committee, which examined the bill and recommended incorporation of certain clauses in it. The Assembly on Thursday passed that bill.
It has been recommended that only the indigenous inhabitant of the state should be eligible for becoming a member of a ULB, and also that the Municipal Act should be reviewed every 10 years, Rio said.
“We now have 39 urban local bodies in the state. We have to provide this growing urban population the required infrastructure and amenities through local self-governments,” he said.
Regretting that many precious decades have been lost in negotiating for a consensus on the issue of ULBs, Rio expressed optimism that with the passage of the new bill, the ULBs would be able to take steps to make the cities and towns better administered and more developed. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister T R Zeliang tabled the report of the Select Committee.
Leaders of all the political parties in the Assembly – NDPP, BJP, NCP, NPP, LJP (Ram Vilas), Naga People’s Front, RPI (Athawale), JD(U) and Independent – participated in the discussions and supported the passage of the bill.
On the disgruntlement of Ao Senden, a tribal body of Ao people of Mokokchung district, not agreeing to 33 per cent women reservation, Rio said the government will talk with them again and take them on board.
The Select Committee on November 6 held a consultative meeting with the apex tribal bodies and reached a consensus on the contentious issues.
“We are happy that the Naga menfolk have realised that women also need Constitutional rights in the decision-making bodies of the municipal and town councils,” Naga Mothers’ Association president Vilanuo Yhome told PTI.
She expressed hope that the government will implement the law without dilly-dallying.
“It is a significant leap towards attaining gender equality and empowerment in our municipality,” said Nagaland’s first woman minister Salhoutuonuo Kruse.
Another first-time woman legislator Hekani Jakhalu Kense said, “Our time has finally arrived. Now we have the opportunity to excel and be at par with anyone”. PTI NBS RG NN
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