Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang Announces ULB Elections Upon Passing of Nagaland Municipal (Bill) 2023
Kohima, November 6, 2023: Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang, who also serves as the Convenor for the Select Committee tasked with examining the Nagaland Municipal (Bill) 2023, has announced that once the bill is passed, Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections will be conducted without delay. Speaking at a press briefing following a consultative meeting with apex tribal civil bodies in Kohima, Zeliang disclosed that the ULB elections would feature a 33 percent reservation for women, while the reservation for the chairperson post in ULBs would be removed.
He went on to highlight additional features of the bill, emphasizing that only indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland would be eligible to contest in the ULB elections. Furthermore, Zeliang noted that the provision for taxing land and properties would be eliminated.
The meeting was attended by other committee members and representatives from Central Nagaland Tribes Council, Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation, and Tenyimi Union Nagaland. The Select Committee Report is scheduled to be presented during the third session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on November 9, 2023, and the bill will be considered and passed on the same day.
This development signifies a step toward strengthening local governance and promoting the participation of women in the decision-making process within Nagaland.