EC clarifies over delimitation 'draft proposals'

Guwahati, May 11 (UNI) The massive agitations the draft proposals of the delimitation of constituencies ignited in Asom prompted the Election Commission to clarify today that the proposals have been wrongly interpreted as the 'final draft' instead of 'draft proposals'.

Secretary of the Delimitation Commission of India Shangara Ram informed that the 'final draft' would be put before the citizens of the state before the delimitation exercise was completed and assured to redress the genuine concern of the public.

The delimitation of constituencies had sparked widespread uproar across the state with all political parties as well as social and student organisations upping their ante against its implementation.

The Delimitation Commission had sent the 'draft proposals' on May 2 to its associate members and fixed May 11 as the last date for them to submit objections and suggestions.

As per the draft prepared with the Census report as the basis, 27 Assembly constituencies will be reserved, while a number of Lok Sabha constituencies have been extended, albeit maintaining continuity.

The uproar, according to the protesters, stems from the fact that the draft is based on a population that includes illegal Bangladeshi nationals.

The Secretary, however, clarified that the final draft would be prepared on the basis of the views and dissenting notes from the associate members and published for the public.

Public sittings would be held during the second fortnight of June and the draft finalised based on the suggestions received, he added.

The EC also assured that the genuine concerns of the citizens would be addressed before the delimitation was completed.

The draft proposals were greeted with mass agitations by various organisations, including 'rail roko,' road blockade and dharnas.

This morning the Asom Jatiyadabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) addressing a news conference demanded that delimitation be stopped till the last of the Bangladeshi from the state were expelled.

Addressing a news conference, AJYCP advisor Dilip Patgiri alleged that political parties were agitating against delimitation for their own cause but none of them was talking of expulsion of Bangladeshis from the state.

They also demanded that all the constituencies should be reserved for the indigenous people of Asom adding that like Jammu and Kashmir, the delimitation process should be handed as a special case.

UNI