JHADC passes village admin bill amid protest

JOWAI: The JHADC on Monday gave its approval to the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Establishment of Elaka and Village, Election, Appointment, Powers, Functions and Jurisdiction of Dolloi, Sirdar and Waheh Shnong) Bill, 2015, amid protests and walkout by the Opposition.
Opposition members including Jowai South MDC Moonlight Pariat, Jowai North MDC Marki Mulieh and Sutnga-Nongkhlieh MDC Richard Singh Lyngdoh proposed a separate Notice of Amendment to the Bill to the Legislative Department, but JHADC Chairman Laitsingh Shylla disallowed the notice.
Registering their strong protest against the JHADC Chairman for disallowing their notice, both Mulieh and Lyngdoh staged a walkout.
The House discussed the Notice of Amendment proposed by Pariat which was, however, defeated. Immediately, Pariat submitted a note of dissent to register his protest against the passage of the Bill.
“The Bill was not referred to the Selection Committee and was never published as required under Rule 78(b) and 78(c) of the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous District (Constitution of District Council) Rules 1951,” Pariat stated in his note of dissent.
According to Pariat, “The Bill in its present form would do more harm than good to the people of Jaintia Hills and it would destroy the delicate fabric of the system of local administration setup and the future of the indigenous tribal society.”
“As an elected representative, it is against my conscience to allow the passage of the Bill in its present form,” Pariat stated.
Immediately after submission of the note of dissent, Pariat and the lone woman MDC Violet Lyngdoh (Khliehriat) also walked out from the House in protest.
When the Opposition members walked out of the House, the JHADC Chairman prorogued the House only in the first sitting, despite the fact that the list of business had mentioned two sittings of the House.