ULB elections will be held with 33% women reservation — Rio

KOHIMA —Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday said that the moment the Nagaland Municipal Bill 2023, which has been referred to the select committee of the state assembly, is passed, elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) will be held with 33 per cent reservation for women.

After repealing the Nagaland Municipal Act of 2001 earlier this year, the state assembly introduced the new Nagaland Municipal Bill 2023 in the recently concluded monsoon session, and referred the same to the seven-member select committee for further examination.

The 33 per cent reservation for women has been inserted already in the new bill and taxes of all sorts omitted, the chief minister said in his address during the general body meeting of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) held at the State Banquet Hall, Chief Minister’s Residential Complex, on Saturday.

Affirming that reservation will pave the way for more women leaders and that discussion on gender equality and women empowerment is “coming to a reality,” Rio said society wants women to be vibrant and take leading roles as they are equally capable, if not more.

As for municipal and town council tax, he said the elected members of the municipal and town councils will decide since the state government or the central government will not impose on the local bodies, he said.

ILP regulation will be done systematically

On confusion surrounding the inner line permit (ILP) in Dimapur, the chief minister said that Dimapur district is a “miniature India” where both Indian citizens (outside Nagaland) and “non-Indians stay” and that the people of the state should instead be worried about illegal immigrants.

“We should mobilise who should be and in what status and if we want all the non-Nagas to be chased out, are we ready to work, to do manual work, to do constructions?” Rio asked and added that ILP regulation will be done, but it will be done systematically.

Those Indian citizens from outside Nagaland who have come before the cut-off year (1963), will be permanent residents. But those who come after the cut-off year and do business and investment will get temporary residents. Those in the private sector will get a long-stay identity card so that they can go and come with their ID cards for their job or investment anytime. As for the workforce, it will be through a contractor, a builder or a local guardian and if there is any mistake, the local guardian will be responsible, he clarified.

Assuring that Nagaland police and administration are working hard to resolve this issue, Rio further informed that a committee, which has been set up, is going through the ILP regulation. “We will do it but it should be practical for everybody,” he added.

Need to implement RIIN immediately

Citing that there are cases of false indigenous certificates being issued in the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) exam and even in the private sectors, the chief minister said that the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) should be immediately implemented.

Rio said the village council has the authority to certify and verify whether a person is a native of that village, basing on which the village council and district committee should recommend the indigenous certificate.

“It is not easy to issue an indigenous certificate without certification of VC authority … If the village makes a false recommendation, it would become a criminal case. The authority lies with the village council and the nearest administrative officer will verify and forward the paper to the deputy commissioner and DC will issue the certificate, “ he said.  Asserting that the indigenous certificate cannot be issued to people from outside the state, Rio went on to say that there are claims that some non-Nagas have indigenous certificates, which he said, “is wrong.”

Clarifying that he is not against any community, Riohowever pointed out that in the “schedule,” indigenous are those Naga tribes who are residents of the state.

Besides the Naga tribes, the Kuki, Kachari, Garo and Mikir who were in Nagaland before statehood, their names, properties and village recognitions (if there are any) will be enumerated. But it will be non-Naga indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland. There is no confusion that somebody from outside the state cannot come and become indigenous citizens. Indigenous is something that nobody should get mixed up with, Rio added and told the NDPP party workers to clarify this to the people.

Naga Political Issue

As promised to the electorates that the ruling government would be an active facilitator to the Naga Political issue, the chief minister said the commitment has brought the political parties together on the same platform to run an opposition-less government.

Many said that the opposition-less government is undemocratic and that the government will become very corrupt. However, transparency and accountability, as mentioned in the manifesto, are been pursued, Rio said.

He reiterated that the state government will take the Naga political issue as its top priority and will work towards achieving the solution.

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