All party delegation submits memorandum to PM on delimitation issue

New Delhi, Dec 22 (UNI) An eleven member all party delegation led by Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had a meeting with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh submitting a memorandum on the delimitation process in the state.

According to state government sources, the memorandum stated that the delimitation process on the basis of 2001 census was objected by it since 2003.

All the political parties of the state in their memorandum dated September 18, 2005 submitted to the Chairman, Delimitation Commission of India, the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister, raised the same issue and appealed for directing the Registrar General of Census for re-census or maintain status-quo.

The state cabinet at its meeting held on July 30, earlier this year again took a decision rejecting the 2001 census in respect of Manipur.

The State Legislative Assembly through a resolution on August 1, 2007 objected the process of delimitation on the basis of 2001 census.

The memorandum also mentioned that all political parties once again approached the Delimitation Commission, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of India in August 2007 with another memorandum requesting not to proceed for the delimitation based on the 2001 census that the issue was also pending in the Supreme Court.

The hearing of the case would begin from January 25, 2008.

It further stated that the Draft Delimitation Process worked out by the Commission had seriously affected the demographic balance of the majority population. The arrangement of seats, as worked out by the North Eastern Areas (Re-Organisation) Act, 1971 had now been violated. Out of 40 seats, 35 would be for general, for Schedule Tribe (ST), it would increase from 19 to 23 and for Schedule Caste (SC) from one to two. If the process for delimitation was further allowed to go ahead on the basis of 2001 census, there would be very serious problem in the state , it added.

The memorandum which was submitted yesterdya said all political parties of Manipur requested the Prime Minister to exempt the case of Manipur from the purview of the Delimitation Commission as done in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, and also requested him to see that the delimitation process of Manipur be entrusted to the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs to address the genuine grievance or be exempted from the purview of the Delimitation Commission either.

After patient hearing of the delegation, the Prime Minister expressed that he would consider the matter positively.

Later the delegation members also called on the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs and appraised the situation.

The signatories of the memorandum included Chief Minister Ibobi Singh, president MPCC Gaikhangam, Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing, Md Allauddin Khan, Minister (Rural Development),president RJD Md Helaluddin Khan, MLA, RJD, Dr Y Mahendra Singh, CPI(M), Sarat Salam, State Secretary, CPI(M), P Parijat Singh, Minister (Health), CPI, M Nara Singh, CPI, Radhavinod Koijam, President, NCP, K Saratkumar Singh, General Secretary, NCP, S Dhanajoy, President, Samajwadi Party, S Lala Singh, Samajwadi Party, Dr H Borobabu Singh, President BJP, Prof S Tikendra Singh, BJP, W Kulabidhu Singh, Ex-MP, President, JD(S), N Dhiren Singh, JD(S), Y Mani Singh, Ex-Minister, MSCP and M Ibomcha Singh, President , Samata Party, the sources added.

UNI