Manipur councillors call on Jitendra Singh

A delegation of Manipur councillors representing six Autonomous District Councils today called on Union minister Jitendra Singh and sought his intervention regarding the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission pertaining to the hill areas of the state.
The delegation comprising chairmen of the six Councils -- Chandel, Churachandpur, Sadar Hills, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul -- also presented a memorandum to Singh, an official release said.
They quoted the 14th Finance Commission recommendation which states that "areas under Schedule VI in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Assam, the areas in the hill districts of Manipur, rural areas of Nagaland and Mizoram will remain outside the ambit of the measures we have recommended for panchayats and municipalities".

The memorandum further said the five hill districts of Manipur are divided into six Autonomous District Councils which do not fall under Schedule VI of the Constitution, according to an official statement.
However, they said, during the 13th Finance Commission recommendations, allocations under local bodies had been made to the autonomous district bodies of Manipur, which are constituted under a Central Government Act.
Stressing that Manipur is a very resource-deficit state without any funding support from other sources, the memorandum said, it is difficult for district councils to function without special help from the Centre.
The memorandum urged the Union government to consider a larger, sustained and more effective direct intervention for upgrading of administration as well as development of the areas in order to bring them at par with other.

Singh gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured them that their issues will be taken up with the Ministry of Finance and the other concerned quarters, it said.