Speaking to the media on Friday at Adimjati Complex, Chingmeirong, president of Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), Shimri Raishing said that six student organisations of hill districts have submitted a memorandum to MLAs of hill districts for tabling of the ‘Manipur Hill Areas Autonomous District Council Bill 2021’ in the ensuing 2nd session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly and pass it into an Act.

Shimri said that since its enactment, the Manipur Hill Areas Autonomous District Councils, Act, 1971 has gone through several amendments and yet, the basic principles of developing the bill areas could not be achieved. It has resulted in disproportionate development between hills and valleys of Manipur during the period as the principal act including all amendments has served no purpose, being toothless in nature with no financial, executive, and legislative autonomy, he added.

As such, the HAC, as empowered by paragraph 4 (3), paragraph 7 and Rule 12A (the Third Scheduled) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly (HAC) orders, 1972, unanimously recommended the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill, 2021, which seeks to provide more autonomy to the ADC as envisaged under Article 371C of Indian Constitution read with the Manipur Legislative Assembly (HAC) orders 1972) on August 16, 2021 to be tabled and passed into an Act in the 13th session of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly. But the state government flatly denied the introduction of the Bill in the said session of the Assembly, he recalled.

“An agreement was signed by the Manipur state government with the ATSUM, ANSAM and KSO-GHQ on November 25, 2021 whereby the state government agreed to table the HAC recommended ‘The Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Councils Bill 2021’ in the winter assembly session of 2021. However, even after a lapse of 8 months, neither was the Winter Assembly session convened nor has the Bill been introduced in the first session of the 12th Manipur Legislative assembly which was held in the month of March 2022”, Shimri said.

Therefore, six student organisations namely, Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong; Joint Student Body, Churachandpur district; Senapati District Students Association (SDSA); KSO Sadar Hills; Zeliangrong Students Union Manipur; Naga Students Union Chandel appealed for tabling of the Manipur Hill Areas Autonomous District Councils Bill 2021 in the ensuing second session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly and pass the bill into an Act, as a meeting of the Hill Areas Committee, Manipur Legislative Assembly be convened and as unanimously decided on August 16, 2021.