Najma Heptulla
File photo of a delagtion of All Tribal Rights’ Forum, Manipur with Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla. Image - Twitter

The All Tribal Rights’ Forum, Manipur, which has been demanding election to the chairman of the Autonomous District Council (ADC), Churachandpur, met Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla on Friday at the Raj Bhawan in Imphal and requested her to announce the election date at the earliest.

The All Tribal Rights Protection Forum Manipur (ATRPFM) recently threatened to resort to its own course of action if the Manipur Government does not take initiative to conduct the election to the chairman of the ADC, Churachandpur with immediate effect.

Informing about the ATRPFM delegation’s meeting with her regarding the issue of the election to the ADC, Churachandpur, Governor Dr Heprtulla on her Twitter handle on Friday stated: “A delegation of All Tribal Rights’ Forum, Manipur called on me and requested for an early date for ADC Chairman election in Churachandpur dist.”

The ATRPFM recently submitted a representation to authorities concerned for conduct of election of Chairman in respect of Churachandpur ADC on or before October 15, 2018.

The ATRPFM had taken several resolutions at its October 8, 2018 meeting.

As per a report published on October 15, 2018 by The Morung Express, the ATRPFM said that the Governor of Manipur had also written to the Secretary, Tribal Affairs and Hills, Government of Manipur on October 1 for holding election of the chairman, ADC, Churachandpur “to be held at the earliest as per rules”.

The tribal rights body said that the Tribal Affairs and Hills, Government of Manipur had not issued any order in the matter and election had not been held till date in spite of the Governor’s direction and repeated “approaches and requests”.

The ATRPFM said the welfare schemes to be implemented under ADC cannot be implemented due to non-conduct of election.

“Thus, we have requested again to the Governor to kindly secure the conduct of election on or before October 15, 2018 by using her discretionary power”, the ATRPFM also said, adding with some caution, “Our request with a dateline of October 15, 2018 expired today and we would be compelled to take up our course of action”.

However as the Government has failed to conduct the the election to the ADC, Churachandpur as the deadline set by the ATRPFM, a delegation of the rights group again met the manipur Governor on Friday and urged her to announce an early date to the election.