SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and other stakeholders have said they would study the proposals of amendment to the Sixth Schedule.
KHADC Chief PN Syiem, while stressing on the need to approach the Centre with a single memorandum highlighting the concerns of all stakeholders, told reporters on Tuesday, “The stakeholders will need one to two days to study the proposed amendment to the Sixth Schedule.”
He added that they would study the first and the second drafts (2012 and 2015) of the amendments proposed by the Home Ministry.
The stakeholders, which include several NGOs and the Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong ka Bri U Hynniewtrep, will also go through the first proposal of the KHADC sent in 2013 to the Ministry as well as the first and second opinions sent by the state government in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
“The stakeholders will also study on the Annexed Agreement (signed between the Khasi states and the Indian Government) which has a connection with the Sixth Schedule,” Syiem said.
At the same time, the stakeholders will study the draft of the Meghalaya Indigenous Tribal Rights Constitutional Movement following which they will sit for the sub-committee meeting on September 8 where each member representing different organisations will be present.
“The representatives will place the sub-committee draft proposal amendment that will be submitted to the state government after the final draft,” Syiem said but refused to disclose the contents of the proposed amendment to the Sixth Schedule.
The final draft will be submitted to the Centre by the state government following which the stakeholders will visit Delhi to submit the single memorandum.
Syiem said in the next sub-committee meeting, the autonomous district councils from Jaintia and Garo Hills will be invited to attend the meeting.
