SHILLONG: Opposition Meghalaya People’s Front (MPF) has sought Governor V Shanmuganathan’s intervention in getting the government’s nod on the KHAD (Village Administration) Bill, 2014.
“We urged the Governor to immediately intervene into the matter related to the need of passing the Village Administration Bill,” the leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy told reporters after a meeting with the Governor here on Monday.
Roy, who is also the chief of the UDP, said the issue of ongoing indefinite fast by ex-KHADC chief Adelbert Nongrum and others in the city demanding the same also came up for discussion.
“Despite the growing demand for the passing of the Bill, it is really sad that the Government is in no mood to pass this important Bill. We feel the Bill is the best possible option to resolve the present stalemate following the Meghalaya High Court ruling on traditional institutions,” he said.
Stating that the Bills passed separately by the two autonomous district councils (KHADC and JHADC) may have issues that needed to be sorted out, the MPF leader said the bills can be amended to suit the local conditions and demands.
The MPF Spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh criticized the State government for the dilly-dally in passing the Bill.
The former KHADC chief and has been on fast since May 16 demanding the State Government’s nod to KHAD (Village Administration) Bill, 2014.
Guv assurance: Meanwhile, the State Governor V Shanmuganathan has assured to look into the current stalemate which has arisen following the High Court ruling which had stripped the powers of the Rangbah Shnong.
“We have been assured by the Governor that he would intervene into the matter after his return from Delhi,” Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong (SKRS) president Dr Werlok Kharshiing said after the members of the Synjuk met the Governor at Raj Bhavan on Monday evening.
In another development, more than hundred people, mostly women took part in the silent procession organised by the KHNAM’s Youth Wing on Monday demanding immediate execution of the (Village Administration) Bill.
Initially the procession, which was scheduled to go to the venue where Nongrum is holding hunger strike, was stopped by the district authorities at Motphran.
“We assured that we will not create any kind of law and order problem since this is only a silent procession,” KHNAM president Pyndapborthiaw Saiborne told the district authorities. Following this assurance, the administration allowed them to proceed.
The participants of the silent procession later burnt the effigies of the Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues and the State government’s chief adviser DD Lapang.
Nongrum, while addressing the participants of the rally, thanked them for their support.
“I have been on hunger strike for the past nine days. But I am firm that I will continue it till the Government passes the Village Administration Bill,” Nongrum said.
The KHNAM president informed that he had received a call from the State Government urging him to request Nongrum to withdraw his indefinite hunger strike.
“I have told the Government to send the bill for Governor’s assent then only Adelbert will withdraw his hunger strike,” he said.
