HAFLONG, April 5 - The elections to the 12th NC Hills Autonomous Council is likely to be delayed as the Dima Hasao Deputy Commissioner in a letter to the Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Assam, Hills Area Department, Dispur, vide letter no. NCH/EL/DC-1/2017-18/6437, dated March 31, expressed difficulties in detailment of officers and staff for election duty as 80 per cent of the field officers to be engaged in elections are now engaged in NRC verification and update works.
The terms of 11th NCHAC will expire on June 3, 2018 and accordingly the polls to elect the 12th NCHAC is due in May 2018. But as per the order of the Supreme Court, no officer and staff already engaged in NRC update work, except one additional commissioner, would be spared for the conduct of panchayat elections, informed the Deputy Commissioner. The district president of the Dima Hasao BJP could not be contacted as he was out of station.
Meanwhile, Dima Hasao district Congress (I) president Nirmal Langthasa, reacting to the probable delay in elections, said they are against the delay in polls to NCHAC and presently holding a series of meetings with legal experts and also their workers so that pressure can be put on the government to hold elections to the Autonomous Council on time.
A member of the Dima Hasao unit of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), on the condition of anonymity, said they are very much against the delay in holding elections to NCHAC and threatened to launch an agitation, if there is any delay in this regard.
