Notices served on State govt, concerned agencies
SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya will hear a PIL after three weeks on the plea to hold immediate elections to six vacant posts in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) after the dual post Bill took effect from October last year.
After the matter was taken up on Wednesday, the High Court said that in the PIL, the petitioner has stated that six of the district council constituencies have been unrepresented for the last ten months due to resignations tendered by the members earlier elected and that the government has not taken requisite steps for holding of by-elections for such constituencies.
The petitioner also submitted that the six unrepresented constituencies are being deprived of developmental schemes and projects following the resignations of the elected members “causing prejudice to the electorates/citizens apart from violation of their democratic rights of representation in KHADC”.
The High Court has also issued notices to the State government and other respondents for their response.
The Joint Action Committee of Rambrai-Jyrngam Constituency had filed a PIL in the High Court On July 22 against the undue delay on the part of the government in holding the by-election to the Rambrai-Jyrngam constituency of KHADC.
The seat has remained vacant for the last ten months since its representative K.P. Pangniang resigned from the KHADC along with five other MDCs 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 the KHADC are those of H.D.R. Lyngdoh (Nongspung- Sohiong), Sanbor Shullai (Laban-Mawprem), Ardent M. Basaiawmoit (Nongkrem), Metbah Lyngdoh (Mairang-Nongkhlaw) and Brolding Nongsiej (Mawthadraishan).
The lone vacant seat in the JHADC is the War East constituency which was earlier held by legislator Stephanson Mukhim.