ATSUM appeals against deferment of ADC polls
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 15 2020: The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) submitted a memorandum to the Governor complaining against the extension of the tenure of six Autonomous District Councils in violation of the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Act, 1971 .

A statement issued by the association explained that Section 13, second paragraph of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 explicitly states that an administrator, if necessary to avoid administrative difficulty, can extend the term of office for all the Members for a period not exceeding one year and added that the administrator is the head of the State, i.e the Governor.

It alleged that the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) had recommended the State Government for deferment of election of the six ADCs of the hill districts and for subsequent approval by the State Cabinet.

Based on the recommendation, the Cabinet, without pondering the legality of the provisions of the Act, hastily deferred the election for six months, it lamented, reasoning that the word administrative difficulty mentioned in the Act can either be understood or read as break down of law and order, natural calamity etc in the hill areas but the State has been witnessing an era of peace for the last three years.

Question on what ground and basis, the tenure of the incumbent six ADCs was extended by the Government, it conveyed that their tenure will conclude by June this year which requires the Government to dissolve the six ADCs and make way for a fresh election.

Dissolution should precede the deferment of ADC election for six months, it added.

Till date, the Government has not provided any explanation for its conduct but has rather passed on the blames to the HAC's recommendation, which is simply unacceptable and preposterous.

If there is no rollback on the Government's move, it is bound to attract social upheavals from the tribal civil societies, thus complicating the law and order situation, ATSUM cautioned.

As such, ATSUM urged the Governor to do the needful to ensure that the Government rolls back the said decision or justify as to why the tenure of the ADCs must be extended for six months.

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