District Council Affairs dept overburdened

SHILLONG: Officials of the District Council Affairs department are presently overburdened as they have been given the additional responsibility of looking after other crucial departments like Political Affairs and Home.
Two Commissioner and Secretaries in charge of District Council Affairs – Jopthiaw Lyngdoh and Freeman Kharlyngdoh – are also handling the crucial Political and Home departments.
The Political Affairs department officials also had to work overtime during the recent visit of The Dalai Lama to Shillong.
With no support from the State Election department, the District Council Affairs department, with less staff, has to work in isolation, though the deputy commissioners of Khasi-Jaintia and Ri Bhoi districts act as returning officers for elections.
Unlike the State Election department, the District Council Affairs department does not have a website to update the names of the candidates who file their nominations.
The department is also not in a position to properly define the election model code of conduct.
As the model code of conduct related to holding district council elections is vague, some candidates on Friday came to the office premises of the Returning Officer here in their official vehicles with red beacons to file their nominations.