The Joint Action Committee passed a resolution on the issue of delimitation
Chennai: Expressing worry over the “lack of transparency and clarity” from the Union government, the Joint Action Committee on Saturday issued a resolution on the matter of delimitation. The JAC sought to freeze Parliamentary seats according to the 1971 Census Population for the next 25 years and demanded openness from the Union government over any delimiting activity.
“Any delimitation exercise carried out by the Union Government to improve the content and character of democracy should be carried out transparently, enabling political parties of all the States, State Governments and other stakeholders to deliberate, discuss and contribute to it.” The resolution approved by JAC read.
“Given the legislative intent behind the 42nd, 84th and 87th Constitutional amendments was to protect/incentivise States which have effectively implemented population control measures; the goal of national population stabilization has not yet been achieved; thus, the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 Census should be extended by another 25 years,” it said.
Under direction from Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, the JAC requested the federal government not to punish the states that have successfully carried out the population control initiative.
“Penalization should not apply to the States whose population share has dropped because they have efficiently carried out the population control initiative. For this reason, the Union Government has to pass required constitutional revisions,” JAC decided.
Furthermore, JAC decided that the political parties from various states attending the conference will offer suitable Legislative Assembly resolutions on the delimitation problem.
“The Political Parties from several states that participated in the conference will start initiatives to produce suitable Legislative Assembly resolutions in their respective States on the matter and notify the Union Government of the same. Through a coordinated public opinion mobilization approach, the JAC will also make required efforts to spread knowledge on the background and history of prior delimitation exercises as well as the implications of the proposed delimitation among the people of their respective States. The read for the resolution.
The JAC also decided that MPs will oppose any initiatives by the Union Government aiming at any kind of delimitation activity against the values discussed above.
“The Core Committee comprising Members of Parliament from the represented States will coordinate the parliamentary strategies to counter any attempts by the Union Government to undertake any delimitation exercise contrary to the principles mentioned above,” the resolution said.
“The Core Committee of MPs shall submit a Joint Representation on the above lines to the Hon’BLE Prime Minister of India during the ongoing Parliamentary session.” Added the resolution.
Today Chennai hosted the first JAC meeting convened by Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. Among the political leaders present at the conference were Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, and leader of Biju Janata Dal Sanjay Kumar Das Burma.
Stalin said that Hyderabad, Telangana, would host the next conference on constituency boundary drawing.
