SHILLONG: KHADC chief executive member HS Shylla said the Hima (chiefdom) in Khasi states should implement the codified acts which render the Village Administration Bill (VAB) ineffective.
Reacting to a statement made by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong who spoke about bringing the VAB, Shylla said many Himas have their own codified acts. He also reiterated the need to implement inner line permit (ILP) in the state to check inter-state influx.
“I am glad that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said entry-exit point is an infrastructure while ILP is a mechanism,” Shylla said.
Justifying his demand for ILP, Shylla said though Sangma was hailed a hero in thwarting attempts to table the citizenship bill in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP is adamant to pass it.
“People are apprehensive after Amit Shah’s (BJP national president) statement who threatened to revive the CAB. In such a scenario, the state needs to implement ILP,” Shylla said.
Irked at the state government over its stand on ILP passed by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, the district council’s chief has decided to approach the judiciary. He added that the writ petition has been filed. “We are ready to sign the affidavit and send to the Supreme Court,” he said.
However, he was still hopeful that the state government would change its stand.
The CEM was annoyed after a letter from the District Council Affairs Department, dated February 4, that said the KHAD (as adapted from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873) Regulation, 2018, passed by the KHADC on October 26, 2018, is outside the legislative competency of the council as it does not fall under any law-making powers as provided under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Commenting on the Khasi Lineage Bill, Shylla said there is a silent invasion which should be prevented in the form of a law.
He added that South West Garo Hills is in the hands of Muslims in which 5-6 constituencies are dominated by the Muslim population.
Bifurcation of cadres: Taking note of the lingering inter-border dispute with Assam, Shylla said there should be an immediate bifurcation of joint cadres of IAS and IPS and do away with Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
He added that there should instead be Meghalaya-Arunachal Pradesh cadre or Meghalaya-Tripura cadre. Shylla said the state government should have officers in place in the disputed border areas.