Delhi trips leave ADCs perplexed
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 02 2013 :
ADC leaders who went to New Delhi seeking the Centre's intervention to enable them function properly have been left almost confused after hearing similar assurances given by the President, the Prime Minister, the Tribal Affairs Minister and the DoNER.
All of them assured the ADC leaders that their issue would be communicated to the Union Home Minister.
Some ADC Chairmen together with a few functionaries of the ADC Coordinating Committee left Imphal for New Delhi on February 22.They called on the Prime Minister at 10.30 am of March 1 before meeting the President at 1.30 pm of the same day.
They also met the Union Tribal Affairs Minister and the DoNER Minister a few days back.
During the separate meeting with the President and the Prime Minister, the ADC leaders urged for intervention of the Centre to make the State Government devolve adequate powers to the ADCs in accordance to the Manipur Hill Areas District Council Act 1971 .
Both the President and the Prime Minister gave assurances to look into the matter and inform the Union Home Minister about it.
Taking serious note of both the President's and the Prime Minister's assurance to communicate the matter with the Union Home Minister, the ADC leaders are seeking appointment with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, informed a source.
The Manipur Hill Areas District Council Act was passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly in 1971 .
Under this Act, elections were held and six district councils set up in the hill districts of Manipur in 1988-89 .
However, after the election of the first district councils, no subsequent successors were elected as the district councils could not implement any development or welfare programmes at the grassroots level.
Subsequently, the Manipur Hill Areas District Council was amended three times in 1975, 2006 and 2008 .
After the last amendment, election for district councils was held in 2010 at the initiative of the then SPF Government.
Following election of six ADCs after a gap of almost 20 years, the State Government devolved powers to the ADCs with regard to 26 different subjects.
But the devolvement of power to ADCs only remained in paper and it was never implemented in practice.
That was why, the ADC leaders went to New Delhi.
If the President, the Prime Minister, the Tribal Affairs Minister and the DoNER Minister actually stated to take up the ADC issue with the Union Minister, it needs a thorough analysis how an Act passed by the State Legislative Assembly is related with the Union Home Ministry, remarked another source.