‘Attempts being made to mislead public’
SHILLONG: Reacting strongly against the 48-hour bandh called by the outlawed HNLC from 6 pm on Tuesday, the Meghalaya Government on Sunday assured that necessary steps have been taken to ensure that government offices, educational institutions and banks function normally.
The Government also assured that all educational institutions will be provided with adequate security cover during the bandh.
“Elaborate security arrangements in cities and towns and along all highways have been made to ensure smooth flow of traffic during the bandh,” the Under Secretary to the State Government said in a statement on Sunday.
In an attempt to ensure normalcy during the 48-hour bandh, the Government has encouraged all private and public transport operators to ply their vehicles normally and has asked all commercial establishments to function normally while also informing that public transport will run normally.
The Under Secretary also decried attempts by vested interests to mislead the general public through mischievous interpretation to the genuine efforts made by the State Government to provide a legal mandate to the role and functions of the traditional institutions, and also in the matter of the two Bills on Village Administration submitted by the two Autonomous District Councils for the assent of the Governor.
“The Government takes this opportunity to inform all citizens that the growing demand for institutionalization of traditional bodies, keeping in view the needs of the changing times, has engaged the priority attention of the State Government. There appears to be a broad public consensus in the State that these traditional bodies need to be empowered and institutionalized through appropriate legislation by the Government in order to facilitate their functioning in a responsible, accountable and cohesive manner,” informed the Under Secretary.
The Under Secretary also reiterated that the importance of Durbar Shnong and headmen (by whichever name known across the States) as an institution has been recognized all along by the Government, and these have always been closely associated with the welfare and developmental programmes of the Government as well as in the day-to-day administration at the local levels adding that there is an obvious and urgent need to institutionalize the role and functions of these time-tested bodies in order to avoid any confusion and also to address the vacuum caused by the recent judicial interventions.
The Under Secretary also expressed that the State Government was very much alive to the issue and was aware of various demands made from various quarters, which include the assent to the two Bills passed by the KHADC and the JHADC relating to Village Administration.
“However, this needs to be clarified that it is the constitutional duty of the State Government to scrutinize and examine all Bills passed by the Autonomous District Councils before these are recommended to the Governor for assent, in order to ensure that these are in accordance with the Constitutional scheme of things and there are no conflicts with the statutes legislated by the Parliament or the State Legislative Assembly,” the Under Secretary said.
In the instant case, the Under Secretary said that it was found that the Bills passed by two Autonomous District Councils had provisions which appeared, prima facie, to be in relation to subjects that fall within the domain of the Central or the State legislatures.
“The Government has, therefore, convened a meeting of the CEMs of the KHADC and the JHADC, along with the legal experts, on May 27 in order to discuss these issues and ensure that the Bills are in conformity with the Constitutional scheme. The State Government expects that both the Autonomous District Councils will take further steps to recast the Bills appropriately,” the Under Secretary said.
Recognizing that the committee will take some time to come up with a final recommendation while there is an urgent need to address the vacuum caused by the recent judicial intervention, the Under Secretary stated that the Government, after consultation with several legal experts, seeks to promulgate an ordinance, namely, the Meghalaya Local Administration (Empowerment of Traditional Institutions, Traditional Bodies, Headmen in Governance and Public Delivery System) Ordinance, 2015.
“The Ordinance seeks to empower the traditional bodies to issue certain kinds of certificates that are required by the residents of the locality for various purposes such as the residence certificate or to be associated with the welfare and developmental programmes or in the delivery of public services as may be notified by the Government from time to time,” the Government said.
While maintaining that the judgment and order of the High Court should be respected, the Under Secretary states that the law provides recourse to address any grievances occasioned by such judgment and order.
“Given the steps already taken by the Government to address this issue, it would be more reasonable for all stakeholders to come and join hands with the Government in its effort to arrive at a rational, fair and sustainable solution to the problem,” the Under Secretary said.
