Recurring council polls to up Govt’s financial burden

SHILLONG: With over a year left for the Assembly polls, the dual post Act will continue to haunt the government as by-elections to the district councils will be the order of the day when several MDCs will contest and win the Assembly polls.
The recurring by-polls to the councils will cost the State exchequer dearly as it happened in the case of the just concluded by-polls to seven seats that cost over Rs 2 crore.
While the Assembly polls will be held in 2018, there are many sitting MDCs who are aspiring to contest the polls which will in turn result in the by-election to the respective Council seats if they get elected to the Assembly.
In this context, sources said there will not be any end to holding by-polls to councils due to the imposition of the dual posts Act.
To avoid holding by-polls and to save additional expenditure, KHADC CEM P.N Syiem suggested that when the MDCs file nomination papers to contest the Assembly polls, they should not resign. Moreover, even if the MDCs win the Assembly polls, they should continue to hold the post of MDCs till 2019 to avoid additional expenditure over holding by-polls.
“Let the MDCs who win the Assembly polls in 2018 continue for one more year so that there will not be any wasteful expenditure in 2019,” Syiem said.