KOHIMA, June 1 - Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang has asserted that the State Government is willing to grant 25 per cent reservation to women through nomination and not election to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the State.
�The government will amend the Municipal Council Act 2001 in the State Assembly, if the Naga Mothers� Association (NMA) accepts the proposal instead of fighting for 33 per cent women reservation in the State ULBs,� Zeliang said on the sidelines of inaugural function of �Short Stay Home� for people living with HIV constructed by NMA here yesterday.
Asserting that there would not be any political nomination of women into any of the ULBs, Zeliang clarified that the DCs would nominate the 25 per cent women after thorough consultation with NMA and women�s bodies of the district.
Zeliang, however, regretted that the NMA is reluctant to accept the proposal and decided to wait for the final outcome of the ongoing case filed by their representatives in the Supreme Court.
The CM rued that because of the pending case in the Supreme Court, Nagaland has been unable to avail ULB funds amounting to Rs 20-40 crore annually sanctioned by the Centre.
Meanwhile, NMA president Abeiu Meru reaffirmed that the women�s body would not back out from their demand on 33 per cent reservation in all ULBs. � PTI
