ADCs hold demonstration at Delhi
Source: The Sangai Express

New Delhi, September 05 2014 : Twenty seven members representing the Autonomous District Councils of Manipur today staged a demonstration in Delhi to magnify their demand for extension of the Sixth Schedule provision of the Constitution of India to the hill areas.

Several Delhi based student organizations, individuals and community leaders from Manipur hill areas joined the demonstrations in support of the demand for Sixth Schedule.

Representing the hundred and fifty six odd ADC members, the delegates were camping in the capital with renewed hope of some form of change from the new Government at the Centre.

They met several Union Ministers like Rajnath Singh ( Home Minister) VK Singh (DoNER) Kiren Rijiju (MoSH) Nitin Gadkari (Panchayati Raj), MHA officials and are schedule to meet the President tomorrow.

Spokesperson of the delegation, Mangchinkhup Guite stated that the demand is not a new one, but a pending issue for over 30 years now.

Recalling the history of ADCs, Mangchinkhup said that it was due to the demand for extension of the said Sixth Schedule , that ADC elections were boycotted since 1989 .

After 20 years the ADCs were revived under the new 2008 Act where there were 26 subjects on power devolution , said Mangchinkhup but were never implemented " we appeal the centre to intervene and take veto decision on the state and placed the 6th schedule extension in the in the parliament" he said.

Whereas the current members of District councils have completed four years the status and situation do not have much improvement, even as the members have been consistently over the years brought their grievances to the doors of doors of several ministries in the past.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the ADC members stated that the elections to the defunct ADCs were held in 2010 with a renewed hope and aspirations of the tribal people.

It stated that half of the subject enlisted in ADC Act 2008 under Section 29 in sub-section (1) of the principal Act has not been implemented till date even though the Govt.issued order to this effect.

Further, no Rules corresponding to the Act of 2008 in regards to Finance, Power and functions etc.

were frame till today.

Three successive State Government had adopted resolutions for implementation of Sixth Schedule based on the recommendation of the Hill Areas Committee(HAC) the memorandum stated.

The ADC members also re-iterated that the Hill Areas of Manipur is unjustly left out from extension of the Sixth Schedule Provision of the Indian Constitution, whereas, the whole of the North Eastern State such as Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura had been govern and administered under the Sixth Scheduled Provision to safeguard the interest, customs and culture of the tribal.

Therefore there is no reason why the said schedule cannot be extended, the members asserted.

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