SHILLONG: The issue of pending Bills remained the highlight on the third day of the Khasi Hills district council session on Thursday as members participated in the general discussion of the Budget estimate.
UDP’s T Dkhar spoke about a number of pending Bills in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and also pointed out that till date no bill has been passed under the present Executive Committee (EC). Taking part in the budget discussion held on the third day of the session on Thursday, he said, “No Bill could be passed under the present EC.”
Stating that there are 29-30 Bills returned by the District Council Affairs (DCA) department of the state government and over nine bills returned by the governor to the KHADC, Dkhar said, “On reaching the KHADC, it remains on the table of the KHADC.”
Pointing to the eight Bills framed by the various Hima (Khasi kingdom) and submitted to the KHADC, he rued that the Bills were not yet placed in the House for discussion. “Is it not failure of the EC,” he asked. Echoing Dkhar, NPP’s HS Shylla said, “Though the Bills are being passed by the KHADC but on reaching the Secretariat office, it remains there.”
On the other hand, speaking about the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, he pointed to Paragraph 3 sub-para 3 which states, “All laws made under this paragraph shall be submitted forthwith to the Governor and, until assented to by him, shall have no effect.”
Calling upon the EC to discuss on the matter thoroughly, he argued that the statement “until assented to by him”, should be removed.
Shylla termed the institution of district council as toothless as the laws framed by the KHADC depend on the wishes of the governor.
In this connection, he questioned the relevance of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India as many Bills are pending with the Governor.
On the issue of pending bills of the KHADC, Shylla said, “A delegation should be sent to the State government and the central government to discuss on the matter.” Speaking about the Village Administration Bill which was returned by the Governor, Ganga Prasad, he said, “The VAB needs to be studied thoroughly.”
However, the Nongkrem MDC pitched for the codification of laws by the Hima (Khasi chiefdom) and said KHADC should set a time frame for the different Hima within the jurisdiction of KHADC to codify their laws which will strengthen the traditional laws and practices of the indigenous people.
Issue notice for taking father’s title
Speaking to the Khasi Social Custom Lineage Act, 1997, Shylla said persons who take their fathers’ surnames should be issued notice by the EC.
Pointing to the matrilineal system prevalent in the state, he said, “The EC should issue notices to those who take their father’s surname that they cease to be a Khasi.” On a lighter vein, he said that the indigenous tribe cannot be half matrilineal and half patrilineal whereas traditional customs point to the prevalence of matrilineal system. Stating that women are empowered in Meghalaya, Shylla said, “There should instead be an empowerment for men.”
