About Autonomous District Council:
- The Sixth Schedule of the Indian constitution provides a list of ten tribal areas in Assam(3), Meghalaya (3), Tripura (1) and Mizoram (3).
- Each of these tribal areas constitutes an autonomous district. Each autonomous district has an Autonomous District Council(ADC).
- Membership of Autonomous District Council:
- They have up to 30 members with a term of five years.
- Out of 30, four are nominated by the governorand the remaining 26 are elected on the basis of adult franchise.
- Tenure of Autonomous District Council: Five years from the date of their constitution.
- Functions:
- They make laws on land, management of forests, except reserved forests, appointment of traditional chiefs and headmen,
- They make rules regulating the inheritance of property, marriage, divorce, the constitution of village courts,
- They can establish, construct or manage primary schools, dispensaries, markets, ferries, fisheries, roads and so on in the district.
- They can also make regulations for the control of money lending and trading by non-tribals. But such regulations require the assent of the governor.
- Revenue source:The main Revenue Sources of ADCs, as specified in the Sixth Schedule, were:
- taxes on professions, trades, callings and employment;
- taxes on animals, vehicles and boats;
- taxes on the entry of goods into a market and sale therein, and tolls on passenger and goods carried on ferries; and
- taxes for the maintenance of school, dispensaries or roads.
