Nagaland Cabinet to submit a memorandum to PM to exempt it from Part 9 A of Constitution

The Nagaland Cabinet has decided to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister to issue an ordinance to exempt the state from the provision of Part IX A of the Constitution related to municipalities and ULBs, and their composition.

The decision comes in the wake of various tribal organisations opposing elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULB) with 33 per cent reservation of seats for women.

Taking serious consideration of the widespread concern expressed by various tribal and other organisations with regard to certain provisions of Part IX-A of the Constitution relating to municipalities and women reservation, the state Cabinet, in an emergency meeting attended by special invitees comprising of legislators from all tribes yesterday, decided to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister to amend the Constitution through an ordinance.

The state Cabinet has decided to take the matter to New Delhi to demand that Nagaland be exempted from the purview of Part IX A.

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All 60 legislators of the state, both the MPs, the chairman and vice chairman of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland will submit the memorandum jointly for which an early appointment with the Prime Minister has been sought.

Tribal organisations are observing an indefinite bandh in the state against the functioning of state government offices and vehicles and demanding the resignation of Chief Minister T R Zeliang and his cabinet.

On February 2, violent mobs had set afire government offices and vehicles in Kohima, and also vandalised the State Election Commission office.

However, the decision of the Cabinet has been rejected by various tribal organisations and civil societies.

Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) Kohima has expressed shock over the decision of state Cabinet to submit a memorandum to the PM to amend the provision of Part IX A.

NTAC Kohima convener K T Vilie and secretary C T Jamir in a release said the people of Nagaland are aware that the State Assembly is empowered to make laws and amend them as per a need of the State as empowered by Article 371 (A) of the Constitution.

Article 371 (A) of the Indian Constitution deals with special provision with respect to the state of Nagaland.