State Govt mum on GHADC expansion plans
TURA: The State Government has thrown cold water into the expansion plans of the ruling NPP-led alliance to increase the strength of the Executive Committee in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
The second session of the new GHADC had on November 27 last passed an amendment to increase the strength of the EC from the current nine to eleven.
The district council had amended Rule 19 (1) of the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of district councils) Rules, 1951 to increase the strength of the EC to eleven members consisting of the CEM, Deputy CEM and nine other executive members (EMs).
“There was nothing wrong in the passing of the amendment since the Khasi and Jaintia autonomous district councils (KHADC and JHADC) already had executive committee strength of 11 members and we would have been at par with them. Currently we are allowed only 9 members in the EC which was the reason for the amendment,” informed CEM Denang T Sangma.
Following the passing of the amendment by the district council it was sent to the District Council Affairs in the Meghalaya Government, as mandatory, to be then forwarded to the Meghalaya governor.
The ruling NPP alliance has accused the State Government of deliberately keeping the matter pending by not sending the file to the Governor.
One of the senior NPP MDCs whose name was cleared for the post of executive member has also not been cleared by the State Government, it is alleged.
The Denang T Sangma-led EC had removed Independent MDC Mark Goera B Marak from the post of executive member through a notification on November 2 following the latter’s defection to the opposition Congress camp.
NPP MDC Dipul R Marak of Rochonpara constituency was to replace Mark Goera to the post of EM but is yet to get the nod from the governor.
“The governor has not received the name of Dipul Marak because the state government has still not sent it. The same is the case with NPP President Conrad K Sangma’s name for the post of nominated member,” alleged the ruling Garo Hills Progressive Alliance