HC admits PIL on Parl Secy

SHILLONG: A  West Jaintia Hills district resident Madal Sumer on Wednesday filed a PIL against the ‘unconstitutional’ appointment of 18 parliamentary secretaries by the present Congress-led MUA-II government.
Admitting the petition on Wednesday, the High Court of Meghalaya has granted time to the state government advocate appearing for the respondents to complete his instructions.
As per the order issued, the High Court has fixed the next date of hearing for May 4.
Sumer, who filed the petition, has made the Centre and the Parliamentary Secretaries as parties and not the state government.
Sumer said that the PIL is aimed at protecting the sanctity and purity of Indian constitution, while adding that currently there is a massive wastage of public money which otherwise could have been used for improving healthcare, education and uplift of the living standard of the poor and the neglected lots in Meghalaya.
He said that crores of rupees were spent on parliamentary secretaries annually and the legislators who are parliamentary secretaries enjoy the perks and facilities offered to them in return for their support to the Government.
“There is rampant misusing of constitutional machinery in Meghalaya. The post of parliamentary secretaries is already declared unconstitutional by many High Courts in India, but our legislators instead of honouring the constitution chose to misuse it for their personal gains”, Sumer said.