SHILLONG: The number of seats in the three autonomous district councils will increase with the amendment to the Sixth Schedule and there will be more women members, said Joint Secretary (NE) in the Ministry of Home Affairs Satyendra Garg on Friday.
Addressing a meeting attended by state officials, members of the district councils, representatives from traditional organisations and NGOs, Garg said the total number of seats in KHADC and GHADC will go up from the existing 30 to 40, out of which four will be nominated. Also, two out of these four seats will be reserved for women.
Similarly, the seats in JHADC will be increased from 30 to 34 with two out of the four nominated seats reserved for women.
“We have proposed that Council seats in Khasi and Garo Autonomous Councils will go up to 40 out of which four will be nominated
and two for women,” Garg said.
Several issues such as the village councils and municipal councils were also discussed during the meeting.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said after the meeting that “99.9 per cent or 100 per cent of the concerns of different traditional institutions” have been addressed in the amendment bill.
“There is a high chance that this amendment, if all goes well, may be placed in the winter session and based on how the session proceeds, there is a chance that it may even be cleared but these are all our presumptions right now… I express my gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs for conducting a wide consultation to ensure that the sentiments of local tribal people in different states have been incorporated in the amendment bill,” he added.
