JOWAI: The two-day meeting of ADCs and Tribal Councils of the North East India convened by the North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) which culminated here on Thursday has unanimously decided a joint delegation of all ADCs and ACs will meet Central ministers on the issues concerning the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and the Autonomous Councils, with regard to amendment of Article 280, Sixth Schedule, Land (Amendment) Bill, 2015, besides a host of others issues.
The two-day meeting strongly urged the Union Government to bring an amendment to Article 280 whereby a sub clause be inserted to include Autonomous District Councils and Autonomous Councils for receiving direct funding from the Consolidated Fund of India so as to support programmes and projects undertaken by the respective Councils including expenses for running the Legislative, Judicial and Administrative wings of the Councils.
“This will be in consonance with the provisions laid out in Article 275,” a statement issued by the Consultant to the NEDF, Rev. P.B.M. Basaiawmoit stated.
The meeting urged both the Central and the respective state governments to ensure that the state does not censor or doctor recommendations made by the respective ADCs and ACs and instead simply compile them and synchronize the common recommendations made therein.
The meeting urged the Government of Tripura to respect and implement provisions of the Sixth Schedule by empowering the Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council to make laws as per Para 3 (1) of the Sixth Schedule and to also gives its approval of the TTAADC Land (Allotment and Use) Act, 2007.
With regards to the amendments to the Land (Amendment) Bill, 2015, the statement urged upon all ADCs and ACs and all concerned including NGOs, CSOs, traditional institutions and individuals to study the provisions of the Bill in relation to its positive and negative impacts and send in recommendations to the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on or before June 8, 2015.
On the Village Administration Bills of KHADC and JHADC, the meeting urged the State Government to gives its approval to the two bills and obtain the consent of the Governor, and subsequently rectify any lacunae through necessary amendments.
Among other issues taken up for discussion included the UN Declaration on Rights of the Indigenous People, climate change, non-inclusion of Chakmas in selection of candidates for higher and technical education, and the Tripura Government’s decision to revoke the controversial AFSPA from Tripura after 18 years.
