The Hindu : 2001 census to be basis for delimitation exercise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2003

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2001 census to be basis for delimitation exercise

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI OCT. 21. The Union Cabinet today cleared two ordinances. One of them is for amending the Delimitation Act, 2002 so that the Delimitation Commission, which has the mandate to carry out an exercise for removing the disparities in the size of the various electoral constituencies in the country and re-fixing the number of constituencies reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, can proceed on the basis of the 2001 census.

The Constitution (84th Amendment) Act was to carry on the task on the basis of the 1991 census, but at an all-party meeting it was suggested that the latest census form the basis of the exercise.

The ordinance will substitute the year 1991 with the year 2001 and the Government will introduce a Bill to replace the ordinance in the winter session of Parliament, Ms. Swaraj said.

The Cabinet also approved the inclusion of nominees of the Governors of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland where no State Election Commissioners exist, in the composition of the Delimitation Commission.

For a "better management" of the Delhi Assembly election scheduled for December 1, it was decided to promulgate an ordinance for the appointment of District Election Commissioners in the Union Territories. She said the Representation of the People Act envisaged such an appointment only in the States and the Election Commission had suggested that since the Union Territories now had districts, provision for such an appointment could be made.

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