The Ex-Autonomous District Council (ADC) Members’ Forum of Manipur on Tuesday called on the state government to hold long-pending ADC elections in the hill districts without further delay. The demand comes amid concerns that the absence of elected local bodies since November 2020 has hindered development and weakened governance in tribal areas.
A delegation from the forum, led by Convenor RS Ngaranchui, met with Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Tribal Affairs and Hills, Anurag Bajpai (IFS), to press for urgent action. During the meeting, the delegation submitted a memorandum highlighting the adverse impacts of delayed elections. They referred to the recent High Court directive mandating the state government to conduct overdue Panchayat elections within six months and urged that ADC polls follow a similar timeline.
In response, ACS Bajpai acknowledged the concerns and assured the delegation that the government is actively considering measures to strengthen ADC functioning. He said that the Tribal Affairs and Hills Department has prioritized key sectors such as education, health, road connectivity, and livelihood generation in hill districts. Bajpai shared plans to establish one Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) in every tribal block. EMRS Riha has already been commissioned, EMRS Churachandpur is ready for launch, and EMRS Chandel is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Proposals for six additional EMRS projects are being submitted to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
