Imphal, December 20 2008: The All Manipur Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat Councillors'Joint Action Committee have urged chief minister of Manipur O Ibobi Singh to devolve the powers and functions under article 234 W of the Indian constitution to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for more effectiveness, meaningful and beneficial to the people and the State on or before December 31, 2008.Failing this the JAC will approach the honourable court of law for legal actions, informed the committee.

Serving an ultimatum to the Chief Minister, O.Bimola Devi, secretary of the JAC of the local bodies stated that despite the Government of Manipur having already enacted the Manipur Municipalities Act, 1994, the state government was yet to devolve the powers and functions to the ULBs.

In most of the states these are already assigned to the ULBs where as in Manipur, the State government does not have the intention to devolve the powers and functions to the ULBs even after 14 (fourteen) years of passing the Manipur Municipalities Act, 1994, informed the secretary in a press statement.

O Bimola Devi also pointed out that despite the second series of Manipur State Finance Commission Reports submitted in November 2004, the State Government was yet to devise a mechanism for devolution of power along with the fund in accordance with the recommendation of the State Finance Commission.

In this regard, the ULBs are working for name sake without being assigned any power or function as enlisted in the 12th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, stated Bimola and added that the welfare and development funds can not reach properly to the urban poor in the state.

While pointing out that the Government of Manipur was violating the Article 234 W of the Indian Constitution and sections 36 to 40 of the Manipur Municipalities Act, 1994, Bimola Devi, secretary of the JAC informed that the committee had submitted several memorandums of the chief minister.

The secretary also reminded of the various sit-in-protests organised from August 22-29, 2006 .

The secretary of the committee also informed that prior to the implementation of the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM), all the state governments had signed an M.O.U with the central government assuring complete devolution of powers to the ULBs.

However, in case of Manipur the scheme is being implemented without devising a single mechanism to devolve the power, function and responsibilities, added the secretary in the press statement.

Further while reminding the chief minister of the 32 delegates of the committee meeting the honourable union minister of urban development and honourable union minister of state of prime minister's office and submitting of representations, the secretary stated that there were still no responses from the state and central government.

In this regards, while requested the State Govt to devolve the powers and functions to the ULBs, the committee has demanded that the powers be devolve on or before December 31, 2008 failing which the JAC will resort to legal actions, informed O.Bimola Devi, secretary of the committee.

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