Section 14 of The State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986
- (1)The Election Commission shall, in the manner herein provided, distribute, whether before or after the appointed day, the seats assigned to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Arunachal Pradesh under section 10 to single-member territorial constituencies and delimit them having regard to the provisions of the Constitution and to the following provisions, namely:—
- (a)all constituencies shall, as far as practicable, be geographically compact areas, and in delimiting them regard shall be had to physical features, existing boundaries of administrative units, facilities of communication and public convenience; and
- (b)constituencies in which seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes shall, as far as practicable, be located in areas where the proportion of their population to the total population is the largest.
- (2)For the purpose of assisting it in the performance of its functions under sub-section (1), the Election Commission shall associate with itself as associate members,—
- (a)the sitting members of the House of the People referred to in section 9; and
- (b)such six of the members of the Legislative Assembly of the existing Union territory of Arunachal Pradesh or, as the case may be, the provisional Legislative Assembly referred to in section 11 as the Speaker thereof may nominate: Provided that none of the associate members shall have a right to vote or to sign any decision of the Election Commission.
- (3)If, owing to death or resignation, the office of an associate member falls vacant, it shall be filled, if practicable, in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2).
- (4)The Election Commission shall—
- (a)publish its proposals for the delimitation of constituencies together with the dissenting proposals, if any, of any associate member who desires publication thereof, in the Official Gazette and in such other manner as the Commission may consider fit, together with a notice inviting objections and suggestions in relation to the proposals and specifying a date on or after which the proposals will be further considered by it;
- (b)consider all objections and suggestions which may have been received by it before the date so specified;
- (c)after considering all objections and suggestions which may have been received by it before the date so specified, determine by one or more orders the delimitation of constituencies and cause such order or orders to be published in the Official Gazette; and upon such publication, the order or orders shall have the full force of law and shall not be called in question in any court.
- (5)As soon as may be after such publication, every such order relating to assembly constituencies shall be laid before the Legislative Assembly of the existing Union territory of Arunachal Pradesh or, as the case may be, the provisional Legislative Assembly referred to in section 11.
Summary
- The Election Commission is directed to divide the state into individual voting areas for the seats mentioned in Section 10 of the Act.
- These voting areas must be geographically compact, keeping in mind the physical landscape, existing administrative borders, travel routes, and public convenience.
- Seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes must be assigned to the areas where their population makes up the largest percentage of the total population.
- To help with this process, the Election Commission must include associate members, specifically the sitting members of parliament from Section 9 and six state assembly members picked by the Speaker.
- These associate members can share opinions and dissenting proposals but are not allowed to vote on or sign any final decisions.
- After considering public objections, the final boundary orders are published in the Official Gazette, at which point they become permanent law that cannot be challenged in any court, and they are then presented to the assembly mentioned in Section 11.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Who decides the voting areas under Section 14 of the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act 1986?
Section 14 of the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act 1986 gives the Election Commission the job of distributing seats and mapping out single member voting areas.
2. What rules must be followed to map areas under Section 14 of the Arunachal statehood law?
Under Section 14 of the Arunachal statehood law, areas must be geographically compact while considering physical features, existing boundaries, communication facilities, and public convenience.
3. How are tribal seats reserved under Section 14 of the 1986 Arunachal Act?
Section 14 of the 1986 Arunachal Act requires seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes to be placed in areas where their population proportion is the largest.
4. Does anyone help the Election Commission in Section 14 of the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act?
Yes, Section 14 of the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act states the Commission must include sitting members of parliament and six state assembly members as associate members. These associates help but cannot vote or sign decisions.
5. What is the final step for voting areas under Section 14 of the Arunachal Pradesh legislation?
Under Section 14 of the Arunachal Pradesh legislation, the Commission must publish proposals, listen to objections, issue final orders in the Official Gazette, and show the orders to the state assembly.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 14 of The State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986, the Election Commission must distribute the seats assigned under Section 10. How does the rule for reserved seats in Section 14 apply to this distribution?
Q2.Section 14 of The State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986 requires associate members to assist the Election Commission. How do the sitting members mentioned in Section 9 participate?
Q3.Under Section 14 of The State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986, what must the Election Commission do before deciding the final voting boundaries?
Q4.Once the Election Commission publishes the final boundary orders under Section 14 of The State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986, what role does the provisional assembly from Section 11 play?