SHILLONG: The draft bill related to the Amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which would ensure increase in seats of the Autonomous District Councils as per the demand of the ANVC, is pending with the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, a Union Home Ministry official said.
The sole reason the Meghalaya Government cited for imposition of Administrator’s Rule in the GHADC thrice was that the Parliament will take up the amendment to the Constitution, which however, did not materialize as the item was not listed during the recent session of the Parliament.
With this, the wait for the introduction and passage of the Bill in Parliament will be longer which will ultimately result in further delay in rehabilitation of ANVC and ANVC-B militants.
Three months after the disbanding of ANVC and ANVC-B outfits, neither the Home Ministry level Committees nor the State level Committees are yet to be set up to carry forward the peace pact signed on September 14 last year with the two groups. The formation of Committees is necessary as per the Peace Pact.
It was on December 15 last that the ANVC and ANVC-B militants were disbanded with the Government promising them early solution to their demands.
When contacted a Home Ministry official said over phone from Delhi, “There is a bill pending with the Law and Justice Ministry, they have to vet it, it will be huge task, once it happens, then there will be formations of Committees.”
The official also wanted to know what the committees will do in the absence of the amendment to the Constitution to increase the seats in the Councils.
However, the official did not reply when a question was raised on why the Government delayed holding elections in the GHADC with the existing seats.
The official also said that increase in seats in Councils will not only take place in Meghalaya, but in the entire Northeast.
This means that the wait for any solution to the demands of ANVC and ANVC-B militants will be longer. Moreover, perennial extension of term of GHADC is also a likely scenario.
