SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in a meeting held on the proposed draft amendment of the Sixth Scheduled to the Constitution of India has asked the state government to recall the proposals sent to the Home Ministry in 2013 and 2015 as it did not take the stakeholders into confidence.
Addressing media persons on Tuesday after meeting Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) and Federation of Khasi Jaintia Garo Peoples’ (FKJGP), the KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) PN Syiem said that the state government should have sought the opinion of the stakeholders which include the Syiem (Chiefs), Sordars, headmen, NGOs and others.
“The state government should not send any opinion to the Home Ministry without duly consulting the stakeholders,” Syiem said.
He added, “The state government should listen to the opinion of the stakeholders before sending the draft proposal for the third time to the Home Ministry.”
Syiem said that there will be a second round of meeting along with another organization, Meghalaya People’s Indigenous Forum (MPIF) to discuss on the final draft of the amendment so as to send a unanimous proposal to the central government.
Highlighting on the sequence of events pertaining to the draft proposal, which the District Council had received from the Home Ministry, he said, “The proposed draft amendment of the year 2012 had clearly stated that no Act of the state of Meghalaya can do away Paragraph 3 of the Sixth Schedule.”
However, the state government sent a proposal in 2013 which stated that Paragraph 3 cannot be implemented with the application of Para 12 A (a) which states that the laws made by the Legislature of the state shall prevail over the laws of the District Council.
The District Council Affairs department of the state government, on November 7, 2013 had sent a letter to the Joint Secretary (NE), Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the matter.
It stated that Paragraph 3 of the Sixth Schedule contains subjects like Management of Forest, Establishment of Town Committee and matters relating to Town Administration which are very critical in the present day’s context and the state government with its resources has a very important and crucial role to play.
It added, “The state government is of the view that it is not desirable to substitute the existing Paragraph 12 A (a) as it will create confusion and may give rise to conflict between the Autonomous District Councils and the state government.”
Syiem said it serves as a minus point for the people as the subjects of land, forest, appointment or succession of Chiefs or Headmen, should fall under the purview of the District Councils.
“The letter of the state government in 2013 has disheartened us as it reveals that these subjects will go to the state government through the application of Para 12 A (a),” he said.
“On the part of the District Council, we want that the subjects like land, chiefs and headmen among others should be retained by the District Councils,” he said.
He criticized the state government as it does not want the subject of land to go to the jurisdiction of District Council.
