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Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 26 (EMN): The associations of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) submitted a memorandum to the chief minister of Nagaland to amend the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 by deleting certain sections that infringes upon Article 371 (A) of the Constitution of India.
Association of Kohima Municipal Ward Panchayat (AKMWP) President, Thejao Sekhose, told Eastern Mirror on Tuesday that the memorandum was submitted to the government on July 22; however the chief minister was out of station during the time of submission.
The letter to the CM was signed by the AKMWP president Thejao Sekhose along with the president of Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF), Tsenthungo Nyamo and president of All Ward Union Mokokchung Town (AWUNT) Limanungsang.
The memorandum stated that if the sections are not rectified, it will “set a precedent detrimental to the rights of the Naga people as enshrined in the Constitution of India.”
It stated that the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 and the three amendments in 2006, 2007 and 2016 did not expunge the Act’s infringement upon Article 371 (A).
“As such, it is deemed fit to rectify the Act and delete those section, clause(s) that infringes social, customary and traditional practices of the Nagas from the principal Act with another amendment before any ULB election is conducted,” it read.
Reiterating its earlier statement, the three bodies from Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung also urged the government of Nagaland to hold the ULB elections at the earliest after due rectification and amendment of the Nagaland Municipal Act.
Further, they also alleged that the government of Nagaland has not invited the three bodies to any consultative meeting with regard to the ULB election.
Meanwhile, according to a copy of the memorandum in possession with this newspaper, the chief minister on July 26 directed the chief secretary to examine and call for consultation, while also seeking legal opinion from the advocate general to amend the Act as requested.