SHILLONG: The three District Councils of the State-KHADC, JHADC and GHADC which held a meeting with the Working Group-3 of the Meghalaya State Planning Board have asked for more posts of additional judges to be created to speed up the disposal rate of the District Councils.
Speaking to a group of journalists after the meeting, Co-Chairman, MSPB, and Chairman Working Group -3 John F Kharshiing said that the district councils in the meeting had asked for 2 more additional judges and presiding officers since the courts are over burdened as all the tribal cases are brought before the District Council courts.
The meeting reviewed the Plan, Expenditure, and Progress of Schemes under Grant-in-Aid to the three Autonomous District Councils in the State and it discussed a wide range of issues relating to the present challenges faced by the three ADCs.
The meeting has decided to convene a joint meeting in January 2014, with the Meghalaya State Law Commission, Law Dept, the three ADCs and Standing Counsels in relation to the ongoing codification of customary laws and practices by the State Law Commission.
The meeting also decided to set in place a time bound mechanism for codification of Laws of the traditional bodies by the Autonomous District Councils and assent of Bills passed by the three Autonomous District Councils.
The meeting also stressed on the need for a transparent review of the revenue sharing ratio between the State Government, the three ADCs, Traditional Bodies, and Municipal Boards, in view of fund constrains faced by the three Councils.
According to Kharshiing, the present revenue sharing is 75 percent with the State Government and 25 percent with the District Council and the working group was urged to take up the matter with the State Government.
The meeting also discussed on the need to plug the present leakages from tolls and other taxes both at State and within the three ADCs as a means to increase revenue collection, and to hold a joint meeting with the Meghalaya Commission for Resource Mobilisation.
The meeting also assured that it will re-examine the constitutional provisions vis-à-vis the Sixth Schedule for issue of Schedule Tribe Certificates by the respective ADCs in the scheduled areas.
The working group will again meet the District Councils in one month time to get the details of their issues.