Nagaland Announces 33% Reservation for Women in Local Polls

August 12: Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Thursday announced 33 per cent reservation for women in elections to Urban Local Bodies and Town Councils under the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001. The decision is a major achievement for the Naga Mothers Association (NMA), who had been pressing hard for the state government to implement 33% women reservation in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) polls.

Addressing a state level watershed conference organized by Land Resources department at NBCC convention hall in Kohima, Zeliang informed the gathering that the decision to this effect was taken during a Cabinet meeting held on August 10. Zeliang said that the government would soon notify on the dates to conduct the election.

Pointing out that while the apex tribal organisations in the state were against women reservation, the state cabinet after thorough deliberation, decided that elections would be conducted to the ULBs with 33 per cent women reservation. Zeliang said that the NMA’s Joint Action Committee on Women Reservation was fighting in the Supreme Court for 33 per cent women reservation, which has also led to withholding of the elections to the ULBs.

Meanwhile, a CMO media cell press release stated that the Cabinet decided to strengthen the municipal cadre in the state. The cabinet in this regard has asked the department to work out their minimum manpower requirements and send fresh proposal after following the laid down procedures. The statement also said that the Cabinet further approved the proposal of the Department of Municipal Affairs for setting up of nine Town Councils for Bhandari, Chozuba, East Dimapur, Longkhim, Mangkolemba, Pungro, Tening, Tizit and Tobu towns and setting up of five Urban Station Committees for Athibung, Chessore, Chuchuyimlang, Tsudikong and Yisemyong towns in Nagaland. It also approved the creation of six new Sub-District Industrial Centres at Atoizu, Mangkolemba, Meluri, Noklak, Tizit and Tuli by redeploying the existing staff under the department of Industries and Commerce.