No chance of amending Nagaland Municipal Act: CM

Kohima: As three municipal wards and 36 town councils in Nagaland demand for a review of the Nagaland Municipal Act (NMA) 2001, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday said that as the Act was amended in 2016, the question of amending the Act does not arise.

Rio’s comment comes as the Municipal and town councils requested the government to replace the word “omitted” with “deleted” in the Act concerning the tax on land and building.

“When everything is omitted, there is nothing to delete,” Rio told reporters when asked about the government’s take on the issue. 

The government had earlier “clarified” saying that the amendment of section 120 (1) (a) states “All references and operative provisions relating to tax on land and buildings wherever these occur in the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001 shall be deemed to have been omitted.”

Meanwhile, Rio also urged party workers of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) during the Party’s Kohima region thanksgiving service on Wednesday to disseminate information about the need to conduct peace polls to the Municipal and Town councils.

Addressing the gathering at the party headquarter, Rio said that following the Supreme Court directive to notify the Urban Local Body (ULB) election by March 9, the new state cabinet had immediately sat for a meeting after the swearing-in and later notified the election schedule.

Rio informed that the apex court, in its March 14 order had directed the state to not to make any changes in the election schedule notified by the State Election Commissioner, warning of contempt of court incase of any violation of the order by any individual or group.He said that in 2017, Nagaland witnessed violent protests leading to the loss of life of two persons and injuring several others, one of whom sustained injuries later. 

As the state government drew opposition following the ULB election announcement, Rio said that the government cannot go against the public. At the same time, he said that it cannot act against the court order. 

The first civic body election was conducted in 2004 across the state without 33% women reservation, except in Mokokchung town which objected on grounds that unless the provision for taxation of land and building were omitted/deleted from the Act, the town would not allow the municipal election.

After two decades, the general election to Municipal and town councils with 33% women reservation has been announced, scheduled for May 16. 

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