Mar 25 deadline set for creating ADCs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 20 2021:
A 48-hour total bandh will be imposed if the Government doesn't take a concrete decision on the demand for creation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) for four new hill districts by March 25, said the Demand Committee on Creation of Autonomous District Councils (DCCADCs) .
In a statement it released to media houses today, the committee said the decision to impose the 48 hours total bandh after March 25 was taken to strengthen its demand and fulfil the aspiration of the people of the four districts of Pherzawl, Kamjong, Noney and Tengnoupal.
The demand committee has been appealing the Government to create the ADCs of the four hill districts for quite some time, however the Government is yet to respond and take a concrete decision on the demand.
Apart from submitting representations to the Chief Minister and Minister of Tribal Affairs and Hills on the issue, the committee has held several sit-in protests, it said.
Stating that the committee is strengthening its demand, it reiterated that the ADCs for the districts of Pherzawl, Kamjong, Noney and Tengnoupal should be created before announcing the schedule of the elections to the six existing ADCs.
Further the elections should be held simultaneously for all the ADCs, it added.
The six existing ADCs belong to Chandel, Churachandpur, Sadar Hills, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul.
The State Government should take a concrete decision on the demand by March 25 and if it (Government) fails, a 48-hour total bandh will be imposed.
The bandh will be followed by more stringent forms of agitation like economic blockade, said the demand committee.
It also appealed to the public, civil society organisations and political parties to extend their cooperation and support to the movement to fulfil the aspirations and interests of the people of the four new hill districts.
Notably, the four districts-Pherzawl, Kamjong, Noney and Tengnoupal were created by way of bifurcation from the existing districts of Manipur in 2016 during the then Congress Government.
The four districts were among seven districts created.
The newly-created districts are Tengnoupal, bifurcated from Channel district; Kamjong-bifurcated from Ukhrul; Noney from Tamenglong; Pherzawl from Churachandpur; Kangpokpi from Senapati and Jiribam from Imphal East district.
Significantly, the demand of the DCCADCs to create the ADCs for the four districts coincides with ATSUM's demand to hold elections to the six existing ADCs at the earliest.
Notably, the Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) on March 14 assuring the student body a Cabinet decision on its demand by March 31.Earlier, ATSUM had imposed a 24 hour bandh in all hill districts on March 13 followed by an indefinite economic blockade.
The economic blockade, however, was suspended after ATSUM signed the MoU with the Government.
According to the MoU, the Government has time till March 31 to decide on the poll issue of the existing ADCs and issue the election notification as demanded by ATSUM.
If the Government fails to take a "concrete decision" by March 31, ATSUM is expected to resume its suspended stir.
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