The Delimitation
Commission has been constituted on July 12,2002 under the provisions
of the Delimitation Act, 2002 with Shri Justice Kuldip Singh,
a retired Judge of the Supreme Court as its Chairperson and
Shri B.B.Tandon, Election Commissioner in the Election Commission
of India (nominated by the Chief Election Commissioner), and
the State Election Commissioner of the concerned States or Union
Territories as its ex officio members. The main task of the
Commission is to delimit the Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies
as per provisions of the Delimitation Act,2002.
There is no provision
in the Delimitation Act, 2002 that it would submit its proposals
to the Government. Under the provisions of section 9 of the
Delimitation Act,2002, the Commission sends a copy of the working
paper containing its proposals for the division of a State into
Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies, to the members of
the Lok Sabha nominated by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as associate
members, and to the members of the Legislative Assemblies nominated
by the Speakers of the respective State Legislative Assemblies
as associate members under section (5) of the said Act. The
Commission considers the suggestions made by the associate members
in a meeting called by the Commission for the purpose. Thereafter,
draft proposals are published inviting objections and suggestions
from the public, on or before a specified date. At that time,
any individual including the members of the political parties
can express their views on the proposals. Thereafter, the Commission
holds public sittings in the State concerned to hear the objections
and suggestions of the public. Members of the political parties
can also participate in those public hearings and indicate their
objections or suggestions to the said proposals. After the public
sittings are over, the Commission in an internal meeting takes
into account all the suggestions and objections received in
writing or made orally at the public sittings and issues a final
order. Copies of the Gazette containing the final orders are
required to be laid before the House of the People and the Legislative
Assemblies of the States concerned.
This information
was given by the Minister of Law and Justice and Commerce and
Industry, Shri Arun Jaitley in a written reply to a question
by S/shri Kailash Meghwal, Ram Mohan Gaddee and Dr. M.V.V.S.Murthi
in the Lok Sabha today.
