ADCs set deadline for election schedule
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 06 2021: Incumbent Chairmen and Members of the six Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) held a consultative meeting at the ADC Bhavan, Sangakpham here today on keeping the ADC polls at bay for a protracted period.

The meeting deliberated on why the State Government is not holding the ADC election, why the Government is not interested in holding the ADC election in time and whether the State Government is unwilling to set up new ADCs.

Briefing media persons after the consultative meeting, Chairmen Forum of Six ADCs of Manipur coordinator and Ukhrul ADC Chairman Dr Yaronso Ngalung informed that the consultative meeting adopted a resolution to urge the State Government to hold the ADC polls at the earliest in line with the decision adopted by the Hill Areas Committee on October 8 last year, the decisions adopted by the State Cabinet on November 10 last year and January 15 this year and the judgement passed by the High Court of Manipur on March 2 this year.

ADC map of Manipur

Even though the ADCs have not been fully empowered since 1972, they have been executing small development works in the hill areas and these development works mean a lot to the hill people, Dr Yaronso said.

As elections to the ADCs were not held for 20 years from 1989 to 2010, the development works which should have been executed in hill areas through the ADCs were never seen, he said.

Between 2015 and 2020, the ADCs executed some development works out of the small amounts sanctioned from the 14th Finance and the State Finance.

Nonetheless, hill people were grateful for these development works, Dr Yaronso claimed.

He then asked whether the State Government's Go to Hills and Go to Village missions would bear any meaning if the ADCs are kept defunct.

The consultative meeting held today decided to appeal to both the State Government and the HAC to initiate necessary procedures for holding the ADC election at the earliest in compliance with the judgement passed by the High Court of Manipur on March 2 .

Another resolution said that 'democratic processes' would be initiated to fulfil the people's wishes and aspirations if an election schedule is not announced within a week, he conveyed.

The meeting further resolved to take up necessary action against the RTI activist who allegedly interfered into the works of the six ADCs.

Maintaining that all the structures built with funds sanctioned from the 14th Finance Commission are still there, the consultative meeting dismissed the allegation made by one co-convenor of the Movement for People Rights Forum Manipur that the funds which came from the 14th Finance Commission were misappropriated by the ADCs and the CEOs as false and baseless, Dr Yaronso Ngalung said.

He said that works sanctioned under the 14th Finance Commission have been already implemented and implementation of works sanctioned in the first phase under the 15th Finance Commission has already started.

Saying that it's time for sanctioning the second phase, Dr Yaronso asked as to why the State Government is now not willing to let the ADCs function to its full potential.