UKHRUL, NOVEMBER 28: The President of India has responded to the petition filed by former principal chief Commissioner of Income Tax and former Outer Manipur (ST) Lok Sabha candidate K Timothy Zimik for a separate and independent Budget for the Hill Areas of Manipur.
Addressing to all stakeholders of the hill areas of Manipur, Zimik stated that the President has responded to the petition and has requested the concerned Authorities/Departments to take appropriate action regarding the same.
The President’s Secretariat has directed the secretary to the Government of India, Department of Economic Affairs; the Department of Expenditure and the Ministry of Home Affairs for appropriate attention to the Petition.
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Zimik also stated that the President has initiated the process of fact findings and enquiries regarding the financial condition of Manipur, separate Budget for the Hill Areas of Manipur and the suggestions for governance pattern of the state of Manipur.
“A beginning has been made, but a long struggle is ahead. Therefore, we must be prepared to substantiate our contentions and assertions. We need to have all the solid documents, evidence and relevant materials pertaining to budget allocations to the Hill Areas and the Imphal Valley for the last 4 years, funds allocated to, but diverted or projects sanctioned for the Hill Areas but not implemented, etc,” the former principal chief Commissioner of Income Tax stated.
Zimik appealed to all stakeholders to cooperate, work together and provide the details to the Petitioner or any group, including the elected Representatives and UNC so that, as and when the concerned Authorities request for the required evidence, the details could be submitted promptly without further delay.
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Zimik had submitted a detailed representation to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, demanding that a separate and independent budget be created for the Hill areas of Manipur. He highlighted that decades of constitutional neglect, administrative bias and political marginalisation have deprived the tribal communities of their rightful share of development.
“When the hill people of Manipur are economically and politically marginalized and socially and culturally separated from the Imphal valley people, the call for peaceful co-existence, developments and mutual benefits do not make any sense to the hill people of Manipur. Under the present conditions prevailing in Manipur, there is simply no hope of a better future for the hill people of Manipur,” Zimik mentioned, while demanding that a separate special economic package be provided to Manipur which will address the grievances of both the Imphal valley and the Hill Areas of Manipur.
The Petition urged the President of India to make a new order under Article 371C to provide the following:
(1) An independent separate budget for the Hill Areas of Manipur together with a separate account. The source of this fund must be directly from the Consolidated Fund of India.
(2) To make the HAC independent body headed by the Chairman of the rank of Deputy Chief Minister directly elected by the MLAs of the Hill Areas of Manipur.
(3) To create an independent full-fledged Secretariat of the HAC headed by an officer of the rank of Chief Secretary of the state.
(4) To make the HAC’s resolutions recommending any legislation or executive action to the Legislative Assembly affecting the Hill Areas with respect to Scheduled matters binding and final.
(5) To make the District Councils autonomous with independent separate budgets. The HAC be empowered to constitute the District Councils in accordance with the provisions of the President’s new order.
(6) The Village Authorities of the Hill Areas be fully funded so that the village administrations are run effectively. The Manipur (Village Authority in Hill Areas) Act, 1956 is non-operational.
Since the beginning of their existence, the Village Authorities of the Hill Areas of Manipur have been running the village administrations as independent bodies without any funding or financial assistance from the Centre or the state government.
(7) To define the Governor’s special responsibility and discretionary power very clear and to make the Governor fully accountable for his action or inaction.
(8) Considering the big divide between the Imphal valley and the Hill Areas of Manipur in terms of population, territorial areas and development, a directive be issued by the Centre in exercise of its power under para 2 of Article 371C that the Hill Areas shall be proportionately represented in the Council of Ministers commensurate with the number of members in the Manipur Legislative Assembly.