KHADC faces flak over Rule 128

SHILLONG: The youth wing of the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has blamed KHADC chief executive member PN Syiem for not taking up the amendment to Rule 128 of the district council seriously.
In a statement issued here, KHNAM youth wing president Thomas Passah said it had sent several reminders to Syiem on the amendment to the rule of the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils), Rules, 1951, to prevent non-tribals from taking part in the district council elections.
“But they fell on deaf ears,” he added.
Passah said the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution empowers the District Council to make laws in such lines by citing the example of district councils in Mizoram (Lai, Mara and Chakma) that framed a law where only indigenous people can contest council elections.
The youth leader criticised the KHADC CEM for not being serious about the matter even after MDC Adelbert Nongrum tabled resolutions on twice occasions during council sessions.
Targeting the People’s Democratic Forum (PDF) coalition led by Syiem, Passah said, “PDF has no responsibility towards discussing issues on influx, boundary but it is misusing the name of indigenous tribal identity to win elections. But the works that they do are against the indigenous people.”
KHNAM has raised the issue because the party believes that the amendment was important for protecting and preserving the indigenous tribes.