IMPHAL, Aug 10 : With the President rejecting the Protection of Manipur People Bill (PMP), which was passed by the State Assembly on August 31 last year, the State Government has finalised the draft of a new Bill in place of the rejected Bill and has sought the opinion of the people.
The whole text of the Draft Bill can be seen on page 5 of this newspaper.
The Draft Bill has been uploaded on the website manipur.gov.in and is open to suggestions from the public.
The suggestions may be sent to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Manipur Secretariat, South Block and may be mailed to home.undersecretary@gmail.com. Suggestions may be submitted on or before August 24, said an official notification issued by the Home Department today.
The new Bill may be called the Manipur Regulation of Non-Local People Act, 2016, said the notification and its primary objective is to regulate the entry of non-local people into Manipur. It also seeks to provide protection, maintenance and socio-economic and cultural balance of the local people of Manipur for maintenance of peace and public order.
Apart from the entry of non-local people, the new Bill also seeks to regulate the exit of non-local people from Manipur.
The new Bill, once enacted will extend to the whole of Manipur.
Broadly the Draft Bill defines local people and non-local people and added that local people means persons who are citizens of India and who have been residents of the State of Manipur immediately before the attainment of Statehood on January 1, 1972.
Elaborating, the Draft Bill said that a local resident is one whose name was entered in the electoral rolls of 1972. In case of any polling stations where the electoral rolls for 1972 are not available, the electoral rolls for any nearest subsequent year which is available shall be taken for this purpose subject to necessary corrections.
‘Non-local people’ on the other hand means a person who is a citizen of India but does not fulfil the base year of 1972.
For the purposes of this Act, the State Government shall establish a Directorate of Registration of Non-Local People and tenants consisting of a Director and as many officers and staff as it may consider necessary.
Under the new Bill, every non-local people entering the State should register himself or herself with the Directorate of Registration of Non-Local People.
The Draft Bill further said that every owner shall, before he lets out or leases, any property to non-local people should satisfy himself/herself that the non-local people is in possession of a pass issued by the Directorate of Registration.
All particulars of non-local people should be entered by the Director in a register.
Any owner who fails to furnish the names and particulars of the tenants to the Director within a period of time shall be penalised.
The provisions of the Act shall not apply to persons employed in connection with affairs of the Union Government, the State Government, Public Undertaking and persons employed by a local authority or a body established by law with the approval of the State Government.
It will also not apply to persons holding Constitutional and statutory positions in the Centre or States, leaders of recognised and registered political parties of the country, students of educational institutions situated in the State.
For this a valid identity card issued by the authority concerned of the employee and educational institutions or other such documents as may be prescribed shall be sufficient documentary evidence.
