Guwahati: The Supreme Court slammed the Nagaland government on Tuesday for delaying the implementation of women’s reservation in the state’s urban local bodies.
The court said that a crucial part of gender equality appears to be on hold.
This comes after the Supreme Court heard the State Election Commission’s complaints that the State Government has failed to react to its request for modifications in legislation to allow the Assembly Election electoral rolls to be used in local body elections.
The Nagaland Government was given six weeks to explain how it planned to implement the 33 percent reservation for women, according to the division bench of justices SK Kaul and M Sundresh.
The petition was submitted by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and others, requesting that all municipal and town council elections in Nagaland be held immediately in compliance with Section 23A of the Nagaland Municipal (First Amendment) Act, 2006, and the State Government’s Notification.
The Supreme Court said that “We may also note that as per the State Election Commission, the aforementioned processes may require six months’ time before taking up the election exercise.”
“We notice with regret that a key part of gender equality appears to be on hold, and a decade has passed on that front,” it continued.
“The report is once again a reflection on the state government’s lackadaisical attitude even in furtherance of assurances given to this Court apart from the fact of the legal mandate which they are required to follow,” the apex court said after reading the note filed by the respondent, the Nagaland State Election Commission.
According to reports, the State’s attorney informed the court that the Committee had completed the exercise. However, the appellants’ counsel expressed reservations about the outcome of the deliberation, stating that the suggestions state that the men will nominate the women, which is obviously unacceptable.
The state’s counsel stated that he could not attend Nagaland owing to his illness and that he would like to be a part of the final deliberations before the state government.
The Supreme Court stated that a deadline for finishing the exercise must be set at the next hearing, and that the Election Commission’s letters must be positively responded to within the next two weeks. The next hearing date has been set for April 12.