SHILLONG: An uphill task awaits the Congress led MUA-II government when it prepares to hold the 14-day budget session with a divided Congress and the Opposition ready to take on the government for varied burning issues which have been pending for long.
While the session will commence on March 4, it will conclude on March 23.
A Congress source said on Sunday that the worry for the Congress is that with the problems of the dual post issue and the empowerment of headmen remaining unresolved for long, there will be criticism within the party legislators during the session.
However, as far as passing of the government Bills in the Assembly is concerned, the Congress source added that whip will be issued to all the Congress legislators so that there is unity.
Besides the issue of pending dual post, the strengthening of traditional in situations following the order of the High Court and the Supreme Court is another cause of worry for the State government.
Sources said that during the Question Hour, questions will be raised by both the Congress legislators and Opposition members on the steps the State government will take to empower traditional institutions.
After the High Court had ordered the State government to frame rules for the functioning of headmen, the KHADC had field a Special Leave Petition and the outcome was that the Supreme Court suggested that persons occupying the posts of headmen may continue to function subject to various instructions framed by the District Council as per the Sixth Schedule to the Indian Constitution.
At the same time, the Apex Court had asked the government to submit a proposal as to what parts of the January 13 High Court order/ directions will be implemented by the government to ensure that the fundamental rights of the citizens, particularly the right to reside freely in any place of their choice, is not adversely affected by the action of any statutory authority including headmen.
With this order, the State government has to again examine the January 13 order of the High Court.
The State government is also contemplating to file a Special Leave Petition on the January 13 order of the High Court.
Sources said that it is yet to be known whether the Speaker will allow the members to discuss the issue of headmen and dual post as he may cite that they are still pending with the Court.
Another worry for the government is the refusal on the part of the association of headmen to follow the re-amended service rules which makes permission from the government mandatory for them to function as headmen.
In their last meeting with the chief minister and other cabinet ministers, the headmen had engaged in heated arguments and asserted that the government should maintain status quo on the issue of service rules. This matter will also figure during the Assembly session.
The sources from the Opposition said that the issues related to law and order problems in Garo Hills, the talks offer of both GNLA and HNLC and the lack of clarity on the Food Security Act will also come up for discussion in the Assembly.
Moreover, the pending judicial inquiry report into the GHADC scam and Mookhep firing report will also be taken up by the Opposition.
The Opposition members will meet shortly to discuss the plan of action for the Budget session.
