Ibobi Singh meets Delimitation Commission Chief

New Delhi, Apr 7 (UNI) Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today met Delimitation Commission Chief Kuldeep Singh to discuss the ongoing exercise aimed at demarcating afresh the electoral constituencies in the north-eastern state.

During their brief meeting here, both were understood to have dwelt on the issue of retaining the hill-tribal status of some areas to enable them elect to their own representatives instead of merging them with the plain area.

The Delimitation Commission -- on the basis of the 2001 General Census -- was reported to have deemed fit for fresh realignment the Manipur Legislative Assembly Seats. To this effect, some increases and decreases of Assembly seats in nine districts of Manipur were considered inevitable.

According to the findings of the Delimitation Commission, the Senapati district could gain three more seats, and Ukhrul and Chandel districts one each while in the valley districts, Imphal West would lose two, and Imphal East, Bishnupur and Thoubal one each.

According to sources, the proposal of the Delimitation Commission has been worked out on the basis of population-cum-voters of the Assembly Constituencies -- and not on the basis of hill and valley districts.

UNI BKS/DG PK RS1935