Government introduces amended Marriage Bill

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who is holding Excise, Registration, Taxation and Stamps (ERTS) department, introduced a bill to amend the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012 during the autumn session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Friday.
The Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2019 will have a new clause (j).
The amended bill has the insertion of new clause (j) in Section 2 where the term “Official purposes” is defined.
Official purposes in relation to the Act will mean a contract of marriage entered between the parties for addressing issues pertaining to pension, succession, and maintenance of spouse.
Maitshaphrang Movement convener Michael Syiem recently said the term,”official purposes” has not been defined in the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012.
The Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act came into effect in October 2015.
One of the provisions of the Act is to make it mandatory for married man and married woman to compulsorily furnish a marriage certificate for all official purposes. The notification of the Meghalaya Governor said that all government departments are mandated to ensure that individuals are made to submit the marriage certificate for any official purposes.