Corporators warn of boycotting assembly polls
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 24 2021:
Former corporators of Imphal Municipal Corporation have demanded the government to form board of administrators for running the corporation while threatening of boycotting the 2022 state assembly elections if the government fails to form the board by December 30 and if the government is in no position to conduct election, which was scheduled to be held in June this year.
Addressing a press meet here on Friday, former corporator Hijam Nutanchandra said that the term of IMC lapsed on June 14 this year.
After the term ended in June, the corporators submitted memorandum to the government requesting to conduct the election in time.
As the government deferred the election citing Covid-19 pandemic, an administrator was appointed to run the corporation.
As per Section 205 of the Imphal Municipal Act 1994, the government can appoint an administrator only in case of failure to form a council by the corporators, instability among the corporators and if there is financial crisis.
In 2000, when the election was due after the term of the then IMC expired, a 10-member board of administrators was formed with Moirangjao Kabui and Shantikumar Shrma as chairman and vice-chairman respectively.
The corporators reminded the government of the past initiatives and appealed to form a board of administrator this time too but the government has been suppressing the matter till date, he said.
Nutanchandra also said that the public are holding the former corporators responsible for the inactivity of IMC as many of them still think that the former corporators are still in power.
There are 27 corporators of BJP, Congress and NPP, whose terms had expired this year and they will take a decision to boycott the state assembly election if government fails to form the board by December 30, he added.