Tripura: Sixth Schedule amendment bill likely to be introduced in Parliament

TNT News

AGARTALA: The Bill for amendment of Sixth Schedule to the Indian Constitution for empowering the autonomous district councils in the four northeastern states including Tripura is likely to be introduced in the current session of the Parliament. The inter-ministerial discussion on the proposed amendments in the sixth schedule is going on.

Sources said that the Bill for the purpose is under consideration and consultation with the Legislative Assembly is likely to be completed by March 20. After obtaining approval of the Cabinet, the Bill would be introduced in the current session of the Parliament.

The proposal includes setting up of mandatory elected village councils, municipal councils, state Finance Commission, holding elections to the village councils and district councils by the State Election Commission etc.

Earlier, Tripura Member of Parliament Jitendra Chaudhury moved a proposal on strengthening the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council including other such autonomous councils in the other Northeastern states through amendment of the Sixth Schedule provisions of the Constitution.

The Sixth Schedule provision was extended to Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura gradually after Assam. The TTAADC came into existence under Sixth Schedule in 1985 followed by an uproar by the tribal and non-tribal people in the state.

The Tripura Legislative Assembly and TTAADC earlier, sought the central government's intervention in amendment of the sixth schedule by accommodating the provisions of three-tier panchayat like structures in TTAADC, ensuring certain powers for having control over land, natural resources, revenue and channelizing funds from central ministries.