IMPHAL, February 2: Taking strong exception to the shifting of ADC Chandel office from the district to Imphal, the Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM) has served a legal notice to the Chief Secretary.
Advocate Rosemary Panmei representing TYCM in the legal notice demanded revocation of the decision conveyed to the Chief Executive Officer, ADC Chandel by Joint secretary (Tribal Affairs & Hills), Government of Manipur with regard to the office premises for ADC, Chandel Office at Imphal.
‘’My client L. Decemhring, Joint Secretary of Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM) is a permanent resident of Lambung Village, Chandel district and is one of the voters at the time of Chandel Autonomous District Council election’’, it stated.
As per the provisions of the Manipur (Hill Areas District Council Act, 1971, and Amended Act, 2008 it is mandatory for all the members of the elected ADCs to reside and attend office at their concerned districts Headquarters, where the concerned ADCs are constituted, the notice pointed out.
However, to the contrary, the present elected members of Chandel ADC are attending and discharging their duties from Imphal at office building allotted to State Disaster Response Force Department at 2nd MR by an order issued by Joint secretary (Tribal Affairs & Hills) on December 22, 2015 without any just caused, it said.
The legal notice said, ‘’By virtue of Article 371C of the Constitution and subsequent order issued by the then President of India V.V. Giri on June 20, 1972, the District Councils are absolutely within the purview of Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of Manipur Legislative Assembly, but the members of ADC Chandel are discharging their duties at 2nd MR Imphal without the approval of the HAC. As such, functioning of ADCs at Imphal is arbitrary, bias, void, discriminatory and unconstitutional’’.
‘’If it is not possible to settle the matter amicably through discussion, my client may have to be in the painful necessity to take suitable and appropriate legal action including filing a writ petition before the High Court of Manipur within the period of twelve days without further notice on the matter’’, it stated.