SHILLONG: Acting on Governor Dr KK Paul’s recent directive, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) is planning to complete the delimitation (of constituencies) exercise by November-end.
Indicating this here on Tuesday, KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pynshngaiñ N Syiem said “We are left with no other option but to comply with the Governor’s directive to constitute the Delimitation Committee. We hope to complete the whole exercise by November”.
According to him, the Delimitation Committee is likely to be headed by a judge from the District Council Court or any other magistrate.
“We are yet to take the final call on the composition of the Committee,” the KHADC CEM said.
The Delimitation Committee will prepare a report and will submit the same to the Executive Committee (EC).
“The report will be tabled in the House for approval. The Delimitation Committee will also fine-tune the Delimitation Bill approved by the House earlier,” he said adding “After this, the Bill will be forwarded to the Governor for his seal of approval”.
Earlier on Monday, the Governor had directed KHADC through the District Council Affairs department to constitute the Delimitation Committee for carrying out the exercise of delimiting the council constituencies besides advising the Council to amend the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules 1951 in order to incorporate provisions prescribing the manner and procedure for the delimitation exercise in future.
The letter issued by the DCA to the KHADC on October 28 stated that the Khasi Hills Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Amendment Rules, 2013 which was submitted to the Governor Secretariat for obtaining his approval, has been returned to the department (DCA) with some orders and observation from the Governor.The Governor observed that the KHADC [Constitution of District Councils] (Amendment) Rules 2013 has been referred for his approval in terms of Para 2(7) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution but the basis on which the delimitation would be done has not been indicated.
The letter also directed the KHADC to constitute the Delimitation Committee which should have a legal element in it and its membership should be drawn from persons having experience and sound administrative background including those with experience in political and public affairs.
The Governor suggested that the Delimitation Committee will frame its own rules for the conduct of its business, placing of the proposed delimitation bill in the public domain, receiving suggestions/objections/views and comments from the public, conducting hearings at designated places, consideration and disposal of suggestion/objection, views and comments and then submit the report.
“It is desirable that a proper delimitation exercise with due diligence is carried out before seeking such approval. The KHADC may therefore be advised to first carry out the delimitation exercise,” the Governor observed while refusing to give his nod to the KHADC (Constitution of District Councils) Amendment Rules, 2013 which has been passed by the KHADC during its Monsoon Session on July 5 this year.
The Council had passed the KHADC [Constitution of District Councils] (Amendment) Rules 2013 to facilitate re-arrangement of its constituencies with the sole purpose to create Umsning as a new constituency of the KHADC from Ri-Bhoi district by merging two existing constituencies – Lyngkyrdem and Laitkroh into one constituency.
