Panel will look into issues stalling Bill, NE tribal councils told

Panel will look into issues stalling Bill, NE tribal councils told

Sub: Polity

Sec: Constitution

Context:

Chiefs of 10 Sixth Schedule tribal autonomous councils meet Home Minister Amit Shah to push for the Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill, pending in Rajya Sabha since 2019.

125th Constitutional Amendment Bill:

• The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Rajnath Singh on February 6, 2019.
• The Bill amends provisions related to the Finance Commission and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.  
• The Sixth Schedule relates to the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.  

Features of the bill:

• The Bill  provides for Village and Municipal Councils in addition to the District and Regional Councils. Village Councils will be established for villages or groups of villages in rural areas, and Municipal Councils will be established in urban areas of each district.
• Bill states that the Governor may make rules for devolution of powers and responsibilities to the Village and Municipal Councils.
  • The District Councils may make laws on various issues, including:
  •  (i) preparation of plans for economic development.
  • (ii) implementation of land reforms.
  • (iii) urban and town planning,
  • (iv) regulation of land-use, among other functions.
• The Bill provides the appointment of a Finance Commission for these states, to review the financial position of District, Village, and Municipal Councils.
• The Bill states that all elections to the District Councils, Regional Councils, Village Councils, and Municipal Councils will be conducted by the State Election Commission appointed by the Governor, for these four states.
• The Sixth Schedule provides that the Governor may make rules for the constitution of District and Regional Councils, including qualifications for being elected as members of these councils.
• The Bill adds that the Governor may make rules for the disqualification of such members on the grounds of defection.

What is 6th Schedule?

• The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution includes provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in northeast India.
• It establishes autonomous councils that have legislative, judicial, executive and financial powers to independently govern these areas.
• There are a total of 10 autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule, including three each in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura.
• An Autonomous District Council (ADC) is established for each autonomous district while Regional Councils (RC) are established where there are significant populations of other tribes, aside from the main tribe.