By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: After its second failure to hold elections to the four municipal boards of Garo Hills on time, the State Government is now all set to move the court once again to seek an extension of the September deadline to hold the elections.
“I have already spoken to the lawyers on this issue and we have to be active in approaching the court again for extension of the deadline,” Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh told The Shillong Times.
The Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court had directed the State Government to hold the civic polls in Garo Hills within September this year.
Keeping in view the court order, the Government had fixed August 6 as the polling date only to reschedule it later due to increasing pressure from NGOs opposing the civic polls.
The Government is now planning to call the NGOs for a dialogue to draw an amicable solution to the matter.
“I am waiting for the Chief Minister to arrive and then the process of dialogue for the polls will start in Garo Hills,” she added.
The Urban Affairs Minister said the elected civic bodies would efficiently address the basic issues of the common people like water, electricity, garbage management at a faster rate.
“Once the elected civic bodies are in place, a common man need not run from the pillar to the post to redress his grievances on the basic issues,” she asserted.
Seeing the prevailing tension in Garo Hills over the polls, the Government has directed the district authorities to video record the protest rallies taken out by the NGOs.
The Minister allayed the fears of the NGOs saying the civic polls in no way would dilute the power and functions of the traditional institutions including the autonomous district councils.
“In the absence of civic bodies, traditional intuitions are actually performing partially resulting in an unsystematic and undefined civic management,” she said.
She, however, made it clear that power of the Rangbah Shnong cannot be diluted.
“The Rangbah Dong is playing the role of ward members by looking after garbage management among other issues,” she said.
She also appreciated some Rangbah Dongs for their modern and transparent way of holding local elections.
Stating that there are differences even among the civic poll candidates she said, “There are some candidates who moved the court in favour of the polls whereas there are others against it. It is very difficult to understand as to which group has more support.”