125th
CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT BILL - POLITY
News: Recently,
the Chief Executive Magistrates (CEMs) of 10 Autonomous District
Councils (ADCs) from northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya
and Mizoram and Tripura met the Union Home Minister, putting forward
the demand of passing of the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
- In this context, the Union government
decided to form a committee headed by the Minister of State for
Home Affairs to resolve the issues related to the Bill.
What’s
in the News?
What
are the Proposed Amendments in the 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill?
- The Bill aims to grant more financial,
executive and administrative powers to tribal autonomous councils
under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
- Village and Municipal Councils:
- The proposal includes the creation
of Village and Municipal Councils alongside the existing District and
Regional Councils.
- Village Councils will
be set up for individual villages or clusters of villages in rural areas,
while Municipal Councils will be established in urban areas within each
district.
- District Councils will
have the authority to enact laws regarding:
- The number and composition of
Village and Municipal Councils.
- The delimitation of constituencies
for elections to these councils.
- The powers and functions of the
Village and Municipal Councils.
- Rules for Devolution of Powers: The Governor will
have the authority to create rules for the devolution of powers and
responsibilities to Village and Municipal Councils.
- These rules may cover:
- The preparation of economic
development plans.
- The implementation of land reforms.
- Urban and town planning.
- Regulation of land use, among other
responsibilities.
- The Bill proposes that the Governor
may also establish rules for the disqualification of council members
based on defection.
- State Finance Commission: The
Bill provides for the appointment of a Finance Commission in
these states to assess the financial status of District, Village,
and Municipal Councils. The Commission will make recommendations
on:
- The distribution of taxes between
states and District Councils.
- Grants-in-aid to District, Village,
and Municipal Councils from the state’s Consolidated Fund.
- Elections to Councils: Elections
for District Councils, Regional Councils, Village Councils, and Municipal
Councils will be overseen by the State Election Commission,
which is appointed by the Governor for these four states.
- Current Status of the Bill:
- The Constitution
(125th Amendment) Bill 2019, was introduced in the Rajya
Sabha and was subsequently referred to the Departmental-Related
Standing Committee on Home Affairs.
- The committee raised several
concerns about the Bill in its 2020 report, and it has remained pending
since then.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-to-form-panel-sort-issues-stalling-amendments-to-sixth-schedule/article68446283.ece#:~:text=The%20Constitution%20(125th%20Amendment)%20Bill%2C%202019%20was%20introduced,has%20been%20pending%20since%20then