Imphal, March 17: Tribal Development Minister Phungzathang Tonsing informed the Assembly today that though the Autonomous District Council Bill, 2000 has been passed and enacted it will take time for elections to be held to the District Councils as the necessary notifications are yet to be issued.

Taking part in a short duration discussion moved by BJP MLA BD Behring, the Minister admitted that the failure to hold election to the District Councils for such a long time has shackled development of the hill districts.

Drawing a clear picture of the present situation, Tonsing said that though the Autonomous District Council Act 2000 was passed after scrapping the earlier Act passed in 1971, there are still a lot of rules and other necessary paper works to be completed.

Other than this there is also a case filed against the 2000 Act pending in the Court, said the Minister adding that the necessary notifications under Section 3 of the said Act are yet to be notified.

All these factors taken together have delayed the elections to the District Council, he explained.

The Minister further said that the Government is trying its best to dispose off the case pending with the Court and added that necessary processes have been taken up to expedite the framing of rules and other paper works to pave way for the elections.

Other than the sincere efforts to set up the District Councils, the Government has also decided to increase the strength of the Council from 20 to 26, informed the Minister further.

Appealing to the District Councils to call off its proposed indefinite State wide bandh from midnight today, the Minister said that resorting to such means as bandhs and blockades to highlight any demand is not a healthy practice.

The employees of the District Councils have threatened to launch the State wide stir to demand their pensions.

Chief Minister O Ibobi who holds the additional portfolio of Finance said that the demand of the employees for their pensions need to be examined first as it involves financial policies of the Government.

Moreover the Govt will also need to examine the authenticity of the pensioners as a large number of people have been appointed in the District Councils without following any guidelines.

The Chief Minister assured the Assembly that pension will be provided to all those who are entitled to it, but first the Government needs to examine the case.

The All Manipur District Council Teachers' Association and All Manipur District Council Employees Union had called an indefinite State wide bandh from midnight today to demand their pension rights.

Earlier moving the short duration discussion, BD Behring questioned why the Government has not conducted the election to the District Councils for the last 15 years.

He also questioned why the Govt has not agreed to extend the provisions of the 6th Schedule to the hill districts.

Raising these questions, the MLA said that a white paper on the matter ought to be brought out.

Behring also questioned what steps the Govt has taken up with regard to the clarification sought by the Centre on the clause "with certain conditions and local adjustments" in connection with the extension of 6th Schedule to the hill districts.

The MLA further said that the failure to hold the election to the District Councils is akin to robbing the hill people of their right.

Supporting Behring, FPM MLA N Biren said that the failure to hold the election to the District Councils has adversely affected the interest of the hill people.

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