High Court reserves order on Parl Secys

SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya on Thursday reserved its judgment into the case related to Meghalaya MLAs holding the post of parliamentary secretaries.
The Court reserved its judgment after the hearing on the matter was concluded.
A PIL was filed in the High Court of Meghalaya by Madal Sumer, a resident of Jowai, challenging the legality of appointing MLAs as parliamentary secretaries. He had pointed out that it was a waste of public money.
Out of the 17 parliamentary secretaries, Celestine Lyngdoh and Comingone Ymbon have already been appointed as ministers.
Earlier, a judgment of the Supreme Court had said that the states do not have the power to make rules or frame acts for creating such posts.
The Apex Court was hearing a case related to the appointment of parliamentary secretaries in neighbouring Assam.
The division bench comprising chief justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice VP Vaish had examined the Supreme Court order and the amended Act of the state government related to the parliamentary secretaries.
Following criticism against MLAs holding the post of parliamentary secretaries, who had enjoyed the status of ministers of state, the state government last year had brought amendment to the related Act reducing the powers of the parliamentary secretaries.