By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The KHADC Executive Committee is likely to table the proposed Delimitation Bill in the upcoming Budget Session, scheduled to start from June 18.
“We are trying to come up with a fresh delimitation bill as we are not happy with the one passed by the Council in 2008 since it suffered from serious flaws,” KHADC CEM Pynshngaiñ N Syiem said here on Wednesday.
He said that the Executive Committee (EC) will meet next week to discuss the proposed bill in details.
Even though it is priority of the EC to take a final call on the matter, Syiem said that they would like to hold discussion with the MDCs to get the consensus on the proposed delimitation bill. According to him, the main priority of bringing this bill is for the interest of the people of Ri-Bhoi.
“It would be an injustice for Ri-Bhoi to have only four MDCs when at present the district has five MLAs following the delimitation of the Assembly constituencies,” KHADC CEM said.
When asked about the opposition in delimiting the Laban constituency, Syiem said that they are yet to decide which constituency they are going to delimitate.
“To pave way for the creation of Umsning constituency, we would have to delimitate one of the constituencies from East Khasi Hills,” the KHADC CEM said.
Meanwhile, there is a divided opinion on the move to delete the name of some MDC constituencies like Laban, Mawkhar, Jaiaw and Laitumkhrah and rename them as Shillong South, North Shillong, West Shillong and East Shillong respectively.
It was opined that the name of these KHADC constituencies (Laban, Mawkhar, Jaïaw and Laitumkhrah) cannot be deleted since they are the names which are traditionally suited.
The KHADC is also proposing to delete Laitkroh constituency in East Khasi Hills and create Umsning as a new MDC constituency in Ri-Bhoi.
There was a strong feeling to delete Laitkroh constituency as it falls under Sohra Assembly constituency and is surrounded by four others – Pynursla, Mylliem, Nongkrem and Mawkynrew.
Sources however said that final decision on the matter lies with the present MDCs of KHADC and State Government.
The State Government had returned the Delimitation Bill passed by the KHADC in 2008 with the recommendations to overcome certain shortcomings in it.