Imphal, August 05: A special session of the 9th Manipur Legislative Assembly held on August 1 adopted a resolution for fresh head count of the State's population thereby nullifying the 2001 census report which saw ten Opposition MLAs of the hill districts stage a walk out.

Consequent upon the said resolution an all political party delegation along with officials of related department left for New Delhi today to apprise Central leaders on the Assembly decision.

The delegation comprised of the MPCC president Gaikhangam, Minister Ph Parijat (CPI), Dr M Nara (CPI), Legislature Wing leader of the RJD Md Hellauddin Khan, MPP president Dr L Chandramani and party's Legislature Wing leader O Joy, RJD's State Unit president and former Chief Minister W Nipamacha, BJP State unit president Dr H Borbabu, Samajwadi Party's State president and former Speaker Dr S Dhananjoy, CPIM State secretary Y Mohendro, former Rajya Sabha MP W Kulabidhu, and MPs Dr T Meinya and Mani Charenamei.

The State officials in the team include Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh and Commissioner (Finance) RR Rashmi.

According to information, the team would convey the Assembly resolution and an earlier decision of the State Cabinet rejecting the 2001 Census report to the Director General (Census), Chairman of the Delimitation Commission, Prime Minister and Central leaders of political organisations.

Moving the resolution during the short Assembly session, chief minister O Ibobi Singh reasoned that cancellation of the previous census report had been necessitated considering complaints from some quarters that the proposed delimitation exercise could not be justified if it is based on the 2001 head count which is said to be ambiguous with regard to increase in the population figure.

The CM also called on the members for holding back all delimitation-related exercises until the fresh census is published and "pending publication of the fresh census, status quo of the existing assembly constituencies be maintained and delimitation (Amendment) Act 2003 (No 3 of 2004) be exempted".

He contended that personnel engaged for the census operation were not physically present at the designated spot due to which such large irregularity cropped up.

It would be not fair if the Delimitation Commission of India (DCI) carries out the delimitation exercises on the basis of the 2001 census report, the CM maintained.

The CM's presentation saw some tribal MLAs from the Opposition bench visibly annoyed and leaving the house while the valley MLAs supported it.

Independent members of the opposition bench Marung Makunga and Kashim Ruivah raised strong objection to the resolution construing that the 2001 census figure was based on the official census operation and demanded the same be upheld.

"If the census report is considered invalid, then all of us who were elected by the voters whose names are incorporated during the census operation are also similarly accountable to be taken as illegal legislators," said Morung Makunga.

It is pertinent to note that, based on a writ petition filed by political leaders of the state, the Gauhati High Court had on January 19 this year, while staying the delimitation process in, ordered a fresh head count in view of the alleged abnormal increase of population in nine hill sub-divisions of Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel districts as enlisted in the 2001 census.

The Supreme Court, however, stayed this order on July 13 entitling the DCI to process its exercise in Manipur.

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