Bill to enable Prez defer delimitation exercise moved in RS

New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) The Centre is seeking an amendment in the Delimitation Act of 2002 which would enable the President to defer the delimitation exercise in a state in order to preserve and protect national unity and integrity or where there was serious threat to peace and public order.

It is also seeking to insert a new section in the Representation of the People's Act, 1950 to enable the Election Commission to conduct the delimitation exercise in the North-East as soon the situation in these states become conducive for the task.

Union Law Minister Hanslal Bhardwaj today moved the related legislations--Delimitation (Amendment) Bill 2008, and the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2008-- in the Rajya Sabha.

Both the Bills have been passed by the Lok Sabha.

Moving the the Delimitation Bill, Mr Bhardwaj said the amendment in the 2002 Act was being sought to reduce the adverse impact of delimitation exercise, and to address various concerns expressed as the work of the Delimitation Commission progressed.

These concerns relate to issues such as shifting of constituencies, making reserved constituencies unreserved or vice versa, migration of people from tribal states to non-tribal states, to urban from rural areas etc.

He said the amended Act will have a new section 10 A which would enable the President to defer delimitation exercise in a state in order to preserve and protect national unity and integrity or where there was serious threat to peace and public order.

The section would also permit nullification of the Delimitation Commission's order with respect to Jharkhand and continuation of the existing delimitation orders until 2026 in that state, he said.

He said that in the North East, even the census figures had been questioned in the courts as incomplete and defective.

''The issues with regard to delimitation of constituencies are serious and very sensitive in nature and they may have impact even on the law and order situation in some parts of the country,' he said.

The Bill seeks to replace the Delimitation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2008.

Moving the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, Mr Bhardwaj said the amendment in the Representation of the People's Act of 1950 was required in view of the Presidential Order specifying the date on which the delimitation orders notified by the Delimitation Commission would take place.

''Section 8 and 9 pf the Act are proposed to be amended to enable the Election Commission to consolidate the delimitation orders issued by the Commission into a single order by superceding the existing delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 1976 having regard to sections 10 A and 10 B of the Delimitation Act, 2002,'' he said.

UNI NAZ RR GC1350