Kohima: The municipal and town councils election in Nagaland is likely to be delayed, although Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court has ordered the Nagaland Government to conduct the civic polls on or before January 20 next.
According to sources the uncertainty continues to loom large as to whether the election would be held on time and the main reason for the same being delayed was the limited time and also the much contemplated move by some tribal Hohos to appeal the Supreme Court against the High Court order.
It was also alleged that the DAN government roped in the tribal Hohos opposed to the 33 per cent reservation for women in the civic bodies to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The State Election Commission had earlier indicated that a minimum of 72 working days, excluding holidays, would be required for revision of electoral rolls, preparatory arrangement to hold elections and 30 days for conducting election to the municipal councils and town councils.
The Commission in its affidavit had stated that electoral rolls of all the Municipal Councils and Town Councils except for Mokokchung had not been revised or updated since 2004 and it would be necessary to for revision.
However, counting from November 1, there was hardly 55 working days or 65 working days from the day the court judgment was made.
On the other hand, the Commission is yet to start the process of the Electoral Revision till date, even after more than twenty days of the passing of the High Court judgment.
Justice A K Goswami of Gauhati High Court in a judgment order pronounced on October 21 had directed the state government to hold the election to the Municipal and Town Councils and to complete the entire process on or before January 20, 2012.
Meanwhile, Nagaland Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development (RD) and Rural Employment and Poverty Alleviation (REPA) S Pangyuh Phom has said the Rural Development has been implementing various Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and one State Government sponsored scheme in order to give a boost to the economy of the rural masses in the State.
In an interaction with the media-persons at his office chamber at Civil Secretariat last afternoon, Mr Pangyuh said that CSS like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, MGNREGA, Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) and Promotion of Micro-Financing Activities through Village Development board (VDBs) and the only State Government sponsored Grants-in-Aid (GIA) to VDBs, GIA are the schemes being implemented in the State through the Rural Development. (UNI)