Seven district council seats lying vacant for last nine months
SHILLONG: The Joint Action Committee of Rambrai-Jyrngam Constituency on Friday filed a PIL in the High Court of Meghalaya protesting the undue delay on the part of the Government in holding the by-poll to Rambrai-Jyrngam constituency of KHADC.
The seat has remained vacant for the last nine months since its representative KP Pangniang resigned from KHADC along with six other MDCs of the state after the Meghalaya Assembly passed the Prevention of Disqualification (Members of the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya) Amendment Bill, 2015 to prohibit people holding one public office from holding another elected office.
Besides Rambrai-Jyrngam , other vacant seats in KHADC are those of HDR Lyngdoh (Nongspung- Sohiong), Sanbor Shullai (Laban-Mawprem), Ardent M. Basaiawmoit (Nongkrem), Metbah Lyngdoh (Mairang-Nongkhlaw) and Brolding Nongsiej (Mawthadraishan).
Addressing a press conference after filing the PIL, Champion Paliar, a senior member of the committee, said, “The state Government’s apathy towards our demand compelled us to file the PIL.
“We held several public meetings and in the last public meeting the Government was given a one-month deadline to hold the by-election, but the Government did not pay any attention,” he added.
Paliar informed that one Cherubin Thongni had filed an RTI at the District Council Affairs (DCA) department seeking information as to why the election has not been held till date. The department did not respond to the RTI queries, he said
“The constituency has been deprived of schemes and developmental programmes due to the absence of an MDC,” he added.
It may be reminded that following the passing of the Prevention of Disqualification (Members of the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya) Amendment Bill, 2015 barring members of state legislators to not hold posts in the Autonomous District Council.
The lone vacant seat in the JHADC is the War East constituency which was earlier held by legislator Stephanson Mukhim.