Govt favours delimitation of constituencies
SHILLONG: The State Government has favoured elections to all the three district councils under the delimited constituencies in the pattern of the Assembly election held in the State in February.
KHADC CEM Pynshngain N Syiem informed on Friday that they have decided to table the Delimitation Bill in the upcoming council session scheduled to begin from June 18.
Syiem informed that the decision to table this bill was taken during Friday’s meeting of the ruling Khasi Hills United Democratic Alliance (KHUDA).
“We have also decided to table the KHADC Village Administration Bill, 2013 in the upcoming session,” he said.
However, the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council are yet to make any move in this regard.
The elections to all the three district councils are scheduled sometime in February next.
Though a bill related to delimitation of constituencies was passed by KHADC in 2008, the Government had asked the Council to incorporate some of its recommendations in the bill.
District Council Affairs Minister HDR Lyngdoh told reporters on Friday that it is upto the KHADC now to pass the Bill which will in turn be approved by the Government.
However, time is running short to notify the delimited constituencies and there is also criticism from several quarters that public hearing was not held before the KHADC went ahead with the exercise of delimiting the district council constituencies.
Since the council delimited constituencies will be in line with the Assembly constituencies, there are also critics who point out that the delimitation is aimed at benefitting legislators who are planning to contest the Council election.