Government introduces Bill on northeast

  1. The government has introduced the Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha. This bill seeks to bring 10 tribal dominated Autonomous District Councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the north-eastern region under purview of the Finance Commission.
  2. The proposed amendments provide for a) devolution of financial resources to the councils based on recommendations of Finance Commission, b) elected village municipal councils empowered with formulating economic and social development plans and c) at least one-third of the seats reserved for women in the village and municipal councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura.
  3. Autonomous District Councils in the tribal dominated areas of North East are administrative bodies constituted in accordance to Sixth Schedule Article 244 (2) & Article 275(1) of the Indian Constitution.
  4. The 6th schedule of the Indian Constitution provides for special arrangements for the administration of tribal area in the four north eastern States- Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.