The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Nagaland government over the delay in notifying the elections in urban local bodies and directed the State Election Commission to inform it within two weeks about the complete schedule of the polls. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh said there has been a delay on the part of the state in its endeavour to keep the rights of the women gender at each stage.
”It is only when the matter is listed before the Court and on the anvil of hearing, that something is done. The notification will now be issued by the State Election Commission belatedly on account of the failure of the state,” the bench said while posting the matter for the next hearing on July 29. It refused to dispose of the matter and said, ”We have no trust in the way the state government is doing things.” The top court was hearing a plea filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and others seeking to hold the elections for all municipalities and town councils in Nagaland forthwith in accordance with Section 23A of the Nagaland Municipal (First Amendment) Act, 2006 and the notification of the state government. At the outset, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the state election commission has not even started the revision of electoral rolls because they requested the state government to notify elections whether it can be done. He said the state government has not taken any action despite the apex court giving them ample time. Advocate General K N Balgopal, appearing for the state, informed the bench that it was not delaying the issue and the government had given its administrative approval in the matter.
The bench, however, expressed displeasure over the delay and observed ”You did not pay heed to local sentiments. You treat women’s rights like this for 12 years! Shocking state of affairs”. ”All this required a petition here (in SC) and appeal to the state government. Tell them they are doing something which is not right…Something which could have been automatically done requires so much effort. This is the part of the country where women are educated in the country, they are employed all over the country and they contribute to the development of the nation,” the bench said adding that ”This is really shameful.” Balgopal told the bench that recently two women AGs have been appointed in the state and said,” the wind is changing, milords.” The bench, however, said, ”Wind is going too slow. It needs to go faster.” The Nagaland government had earlier told the apex court that it has agreed to implement a 33 per cent reservation for women in civic bodies.
It had said that a resolution had been adopted in this regard at a consultative meeting held on March 9 where all the stakeholders were present. The apex court had earlier rapped the Nagaland government over the delay to enforce reservations for women in the state’s urban local bodies, saying an important aspect of gender equality seems to be getting postponed.
It had taken note of the grievance made by the state election commission that the State Government is not responding to its request regarding changes in legislation to adopt the electoral rolls of Parliament in the assembly election for use in local body elections.
The State Election Commission had told the apex court that no response had been received in pursuance to the official letter to provide requisite additional fields in existing rolls to enable ward-wise segregation of voters.
