Special Nagaland Assembly session on November 9

November 3, 2023 25 Views No Comment

• Session connected to Municipal Bill 2023
• To be preceded by another consultative meet with hohos

Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 3

The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) will convene for a special session on November 9. The NLA Secretariat issued a notification on November 2, informing of the state Governor summoning the “Third Emergent Session” at 9:30 am, November 9.

It did not specify the cause for the special session, but according to the Deputy Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, it will be in connection to the Nagaland Municipal Bill, 2023. Zeliang made the disclosure at a press conference on Thursday afternoon following a seating of the Select Committee constituted for examining the Bill, which was introduced in the NLA’s September (Monsoon) session.

The Bill has the provision for 33 percent seat reservation for women in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), an issue that cost Zeliang the Chief Minister’s chair in 2017. He had to resign under pressure from the male-dominated Naga tribal hohos opposed to reserving seats for women in the ULBs.

Only 5 of the 7-member Committee attended the meeting. Besides, Zeliang, who heads the Committee, there were Zhaleo Rio, Advisor forUrban Development and Municipal Affairs; KG Kenye, Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs; Mhathung Yanthan, Advisor for Agriculture and Metsubo Jamir, Minister for Rural Development and SIRD. Chief Secretary, J Alam, was also present besides other bureaucrats.

Zeliang said that the Committee met to discuss the ULBs elections with 33 percent seat reservation for women before the special Assembly session scheduled on November 9. “Before that the committee has to examine and take a decision and submit our recommendation to the Assembly,” he said.

The state government failing to conduct ULBs polls in Nagaland is under litigation in the Supreme Court, a hearing for which is scheduled on November 10. The convening of the special session prior takes on significant importance.

The November 9 special Assembly session will be preceded by another “consultative meeting” with the civil society organisations and tribal hohos.

He said that the meeting, likely to be held in Kohima, will be for explaining the position of the state government and making them understand the contents of the NM Bill and “what are we going to propose, which are to be deleted and where we have conceded to their demands.”

According to Zeliang, the Committee’s recommendations to the Assembly would be based on what transpires in the proposed consultation with the tribal hohos. A date was yet to be fixed, however.

On him being put in-charge of an issue (women reservation) which once cost him dear and the prospect of violent public reaction, he held that the people, today, has become more understanding. “If we understand together, there should not be any problem. That is why we are going to have the consultative meet,” he said.

The NM Bill, 2023, was introduced in the Monsoon session of the NLA, on September 12, to replace the now repealed Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001.

The Bill retained the provision for 33 percent seat reservation for women but omitted the provision for property tax. The latter was also opposed by the tribal hohos.

The Bill also does not include provision for reserving either the post of the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson for women.

During the last hearing of the issue in the Supreme Court on September 26, the Government of Nagaland told the Supreme Court that all 16 major tribes as well as 7 minor tribes have “all agreed to the concept of 1/3rd reservation for women,” paving the way for the recent introduction of the Bill in the State Assembly.