Mizoram government has constituted the Drafting Committee for the Mizoram Maintenance of Household Registers Bill, 2026 on February 25 last after the Mizoram Maintenance of Household Registers Bill, 2019 passed by the State Legislative Assembly on March, 18, 2019 was rejected by the central government, state Chief Minister Lalduhoma said.
In a written reply to a question in the legislature, Lalduhoma, who also holds General Administration Department (GAD), said the bill was withheld by the then Governor and refused to give assent. The then Governor additional charge Prof. Jagdish Mukhi (he was the Assam Governor) rather than giving assent to the Bill sent it to the President of India on September 12, 2019.
Mukhi opined that legislation of the Bill is not within the purview and power of the state legislature and referred it to the President as per the provision of the article 200 of the Constitution of India. The Bill can be utilised for detection of foreigners illegally living in the state which is above the power of the state legislature, some legal experts opined.
The state government pursued the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) asking the latter to give assent to the Bill by sending 4 demi official (DO) letters to the Union Home Minister on the matter.
The MHA, however, maintained that some provisions of the 2019 Bill is above the powers and purview of a state legislature and gave advice to the Mizoram government to review it. The central government then withdrew the Bill.
The Drafting Committee for the Mizoram Maintenance of Household Registers Bill, 2026 was constituted in February last and has been working on to review the provisions of the Bill which will be acceptable to the central government.
