ADCs ponder over inadequate power devolution
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 18 2015:
Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) including Sadar Hills ADC have started charting out their next course of action over the State Government's failure to devolve adequate powers to the ADCs and keeping the ADCs ineffective.
Grievances of ADC Chairmen and members have been brewing for quite sometime over the State Government's failure to devolve sufficient powers to the ADCs under the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act and devolution of powers only on paper just for namesake, informed a source.
After a gap of over 20 years, ADC polls were held in 2010 at the instruction of the Government of India to hold local body elections in the hill areas of Manipur.
However, the election was opposed tooth and nail by some elements and many of the candidates faced serious threats.
They were targeted even after the election.
Even though the tenure of the incumbent ADCs would expire in April, Chairmen and members of different ADCs have been staying at Imphal unable to return to their native villages for fear of being targeted.
The candidates fought the election by putting their own lives at stake and the victorious candidates finally set up ADCs.
Subsequently, the State Government devolved powers pertaining to 26 departments to the ADCs.
However, ADCs have not been allotted the necessary funds thereby keeping the ADCs ineffective and dysfunctional.
Repeated appeals by the ADC Chairmen to the State Government to let them function with their full Constitutional authorities is yet bear any fruit, said the source.
The district councils are being run with funds from Medical Treatment Scheme of Tribal Development Department (50 per cent), Animal Husbandry Department (50 per cent), Agriculture/Horticulture (50 per cent) and a certain amount of fund sanctioned from the 13th Finance Commission.
Once during a meeting between the ADC Chairmen and the State Government, the former proposed introduction of 6th Schedule in the hill areas of Manipur.
Even though the proposal was rejected, the State Government assured more funds to the ADCs than the funds which they would be entitled to under 6th Schedule.
But the same assurance is yet to be put into action.
Actual devolution of powers still remains a far fetched dream even though the incumbent ADCs would expire in April.
As such, the Chairmen and members have started considering what they should do.
However, no concrete decision has been adopted so far, added the source.