The Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill, 2021 seeks more autonomy to the Hills Areas Committee and the Autonomous District Councils with regard to administration and management of hill areas of Manipur.
TFM Desk
The storm that the contentious Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill, 2021 kicked off is gaining traction and turning out to be a major issue of the state.
A group of CSOs — IPSA, IPAK, ACOAM LUP, PANDM, KANGLAMEI, KIL, CLK and KSA — held a one-day political discourse on the contentious Bill on Sunday in Imphal and unanimously decided to oppose the tabling of the bill in the ongoing Manipur Legislative Assembly.
A 10 point resolution was also adopted and submitted to the chief minister N Biren Singh, who is the leader of the house and also to the leader of opposition O Ibobi “to consider and take necessary actions”.
It was resolved that the bill is very sensitive and it should not be “tabled/passed without prior consultation with all the stakeholders of the state”.
The political discourse claimed that the new Bill contains the maximum provisions and objectives of the contentious Naga Autonomous Council and Kuki Territorial Council, which have been opposed by many people of the state. The salient features of the Bill duplicates almost all the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution which is also not acceptable to the majority population of the state, one of the resolutions said.
The discourse also maintained that the Bill reflects the communal, ethnocentric and divisive intent of the vested interest groups of the elected representatives, misguiding the general population of the hill areas.
It was also resolved that all the communities communities and groups who stands for the integrity and peaceful co-existence between the ethnic communities of the state should oppose the Bill.
The meeting also expressed its discontentment towards the “communal elected leaders” of the hill areas leading such campaign to divide the communities rather than uniting it.
The discourse also resolved to invite all hill leaders and CSOs to come forward for a transparent discussion and analysis of the content of the Bill and cooperate in working out an amicable solution to make an inclusive and judicious Bill acceptable to all the stakeholders of the state.
The meeting appealed to all the people of the state especially to the hill brethren to not fall into the “half-hearted, clandestine and ill intended attempt” of the elected few leading the campaign in the name of Hill Areas Committee, which the discourse claimed had vested interest “on the eve of their coming election”.
The members present at the discourse also appealed to all the legislators to abstain from such moves made by the few elected leaders from the hills and reject the recommendations made by the HAC to divide the state in the name of effective administration and development.
Meanwhile, the All Manipur Muslim Organisations’ Co-Ordinating Committee (AMMOCOC) also opposed the Bill and asserted that it should not be tabled in the assembly. It is a divisive Bill meant to divide the state and spew venom amongst the different communities of the state, it added.
In a release, AMMOCOC asserted that it won’t remain a silent spectator if it is tabled and urged the state government to tread cautiously so that another June 18 like incident doesn’t occur in the state.
On Saturday, the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) announced a 24-hours total shutdown on Monday expressing resentment over the state government’s alleged unwillingness to table the bill in the ongoing session.
The Bill
The Hill Areas Committee, Manipur Legislative Assembly, in its meeting held on August 16, 2021, unanimously adopted the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Bill, 2021.
The new Bill seeks more autonomy to the Hills Areas Committee and the Autonomous District Councils with regard to administration and management of hill areas of Manipur.
As per the draft bill, Article 371C of the Constitution of India read with the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972 provides for a separate scheme for the administration of the hill areas in the State of Manipur through Hill Areas Committee and District Councils. The Hill Areas Committee and the District Councils for the Autonomous Districts are vested with legislative powers on specified subject and are allotted certain sources of taxation.
They have also been given powers to manage their resources, public health and sanitation services, primary education and undertake administrative and welfare services including development and economic planning, it said. In order to give effect to said provisions the parliament enacted the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971. Notably this 1971 Act was enacted by the Parliament since at the relevant time Manipur was a Union Territory and still is effective after more than 50 years of the creation of the State of Manipur, it added.
Elaborating the objectives and reasons for bringing in the new legislation, the draft bill said since 1971 there were several amendments to the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act. However, a review of the provisions of the 1971 Act indicated deficiencies which resulted in disproportionate development between the areas of the hills and valley of Manipur over the years.
The Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Bill, 2021 seeks to repeal and replace the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 1971 in order to provide more autonomy to the Hill Area Committee and the District Councils (now referred as Autonomous District Council as they relate to Autonomous Districts) as envisaged under Article 371C of the Constitution of India read with the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) Order, 1972.
Salient features of the Bill
a. More autonomy to the Hill Areas Committee and the Autonomous District Councils with regard to administration and management of Hill Areas of the State of Manipur.
b. Provisions to take into consideration the current ground realities in the Hill Areas of the State of Manipur including increasing the number of constituencies of the Autonomous District Council to 31 out of which 3 members to be nominated, Further, in the delimitation process of the 28 constituencies, 3/4th of the seats shall be allocated as per population representation of the areas covered under the Autonomous District and 1/4th of the seats shall be reserved for socio-economically backward areas and need based special geographical areas within the respective Autonomous District.
c. Creation of Hill Areas Secretariat for (i) Managing and coordinating the working of the all the Autonomous District Councils; (ii) Reviewing and monitoring all the projects and programs undertaken by each Autonomous District Council; and (iii) Coordinate and manage the budgetary allocation as per department or area-wise requirement for the Hill Areas of Manipur
d. Providing first and second appeal with regard to the adjudication of election petition under the Bill
e. Creation of an Executive Committee under the Autonomous District Councils which shall act as a cabinet of the Autonomous District Council. The Executive Committee shall have members not exceeding seven.
f. Bringing in Hill House Tax within the purview of the Autonomous District Council
g. More effective and active involvement of Hill Areas Committee in development and economic planning including budget planning and allocations for the entire Hill Areas for the State of Manipur.