Monday, November 03, 2008

Governor gives approval to three bills passed in last Assembly session

IMPHAL, Nov 2: State Governor Gurbachan Jagat has given his approval to the three government bills passed by the Manipur legislative Assembly during its session held in the first week of the previous month.

The three government bills which have received the Governor assent include the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (Third Amendment) Bill, 2008, the Manipur Panchayati Raj (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2008 and the Manipur Municipality Disclosure Bill, 2008.

It may be mentioned that the monsoon session of the Manipur legislative Assembly which was held from October 1 passed the Manipur Municipality Disclosure Bill, 2008 after a brief discussion in the House participated by members from both the ruling and opposition benches. The objective of the bill was to empower the state government to enact public disclosure law to ensure disclosure to all stakeholders for improving local governance including accountability and transparency in administration of urban local bodies.

This was part of mandatory reforms as per the memorandum of agreement signed with the ministry of urban development for implementation of JnNURM.

The Manipur Panchayati Raj (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2008, on the other hand, aims to maintain restrictions on the raising of no confidence motions against the adhyakshas or up-adhyakshas in the initial two years of their term in the zilla parishads.

The Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (Third Amendment) Bill, 2008 which was also passed by the state Assembly on October 10 after threadbare discussions in the House was with an objective to ensure elections to the district councls in the hills which could not be held for the last more than two decades.

The last election to the district councis were held in 1984 and 1987, and as holding of elections to the district councils is necessary for proper implementation of the provisions of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act 1971, the election to the district councils will now be conducted under the independent authority of the state election commission.

The proposed Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Third Amendment Bill, 2008 seeks to strengthen the hills administration by increasing the existing number of seats of the elected members of district councils to 24 to ensure the administration in the hill areas involves larger numbers of people at the grassroots level.

It may be mentioned that the Manipur Hills Areas Autonomous District Council Bill, 2008 was introduced in the legislative Assembly during the third session of the 9th legislative Assembly but had been withdrawn, and the Hill Areas Committee of the state Assembly in the course of consideration of the Manipur Hill Areas Autonomous District Councils Bill 2008 presented the 5th report in the 3rd session of the 9th state Assembly with the recommendation for continuation of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act 1971 with necessary amendments.

Thereafter, on May 11 this year the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Third Amendment Ordinance, 2008 (Ordinance No. 1 of 2008) was promulgated by the Governor under clause (1) of Article 213 of the Constitution of India, and later after a lengthy process the state government proposed to replace the said Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Third Ordinance, 2008 by this bill which the state Assembly in its sitting held on October 10 passed.

The Imphal Free Press

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