By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Home Ministry will discuss the amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in a meeting scheduled for Friday here.
The joint secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, in-charge North East, Satyendra Garg will hold discussion with the district council officials and CEMs of the three district councils on the pending amendment to the Sixth Schedule.
An official source said on Thursday that the Centre wants to amend the Sixth Schedule at the earliest to empower the district councils.
KHADC chief executive member P N Syiem said the agenda will include increase in the number of seats from the present 30 to 40 in the councils, restriction for the MDCs to function as MLAs, the need to extend the finance commission grant to district councils, among others.
Syiem said he would propose the need to bring anti-defection law in the district councils to prevent the MDCs from switching sides which had brought instability in councils.
He said the draft amendment was first prepared in 2012 and again another draft was brought out in 2015.
The demand to increase the number of seats in the councils was as per the tripartite agreement with the ANVC militant group.
As far as the issue of MDCs holding the dual post as MLAs is concerned, the proposed amendment states that even if an MDC contests the Assembly polls, he has to relinquish one post after getting elected as MLA like in the case of MLAs contesting Lok Sabha polls or MPs contesting the Assembly polls.
Though there is constitutional provision for issuing grant to the local bodies by the finance commissions, this was not extended to the district councils and amendment to the constitution will help the district councils to avail the funds from the finance commission.