DIMAPUR, Aug 21 - Nagaland Cabinet has constituted a committee to review the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2002 and submit its report within three months.
According to a CMO release, the Committee will consult all tribal hohos and stakeholders for reviewing the Municipal Act before submitting its report. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Temjen Toy is the convenor of the six-member committee while Commissioner Nagaland Sentiyanger Imchen, Commissioner & Secretary of Municipal Affairs M Patton, Secretary of Justice & Law Khanrinla, Director of Municipal Affairs Dr Toshi Mannen and Commissioner of Taxes are the members.
Deliberating on the matter relating to the urban local bodies election in the State at a meeting yesterday, the State Cabinet also decided to sanction an amount of Rs 60 lakh for construction of a memorial monolith of the two persons killed during the process of civic body election in February this year. The Cabinet further decided to ask the Judicial Inquiry Committee to expedite its inquiry and submit the report at the earliest.
Holding of civic body elections with 33 per cent reservation for women in the State in February last triggered a huge public uproar that forced Chief Minister TR Zeliang to vacate his seat. Two youths had died in clashes with police in Dimapur while several others were injured during bandhs called by tribal bodies opposing the urban local body elections with reservation for women.
Violence erupted in State capital Kohima with those opposed to the elections vandalising the State Election Commission and Deputy Commissioner�s office and setting on fire the Kohima Municipal Council building, besides damaging other government offices. The Naga civil societies vehemently opposed the civic body elections with 33 per cent reservation for women contending that it is against Naga customary laws and practices.
