SHILLONG: Meghalaya Government has prepared its replies to about 15 questions that have been raised by the Ministry of Home Affairs pertaining to the amendments in the Sixth Schedule
Informing this here on Friday, Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma said that the State Government committee headed by the District Council Affairs Minister had held a detailed discussion with the stakeholders on the matter to take up the matter at the level of the standing committee.
Recalling his recent meeting with the Union Home Minister where Sangma briefed the Home Minister about the concerns of the state pertaining to the Amendment Bill, he added that the questionnaires given by the MHA were discussed in the state Cabinet on Friday
“The reply to these questionnaires had been prepared and we will send the reply to the MHA,” he said
Refusing to divulge the details of the questions, the Chief Minister stated that the questions are about the observations of the Government on various aspects of anti defection law, issue of district planning, and Government’s views of the amendment.
The MHA also asked the Government its views on renaming the District Councils in the state
Reacting to a query if the matter pertaining to unrepresented tribe was also a part of the questionnaire, he added that since all the Scheduled Tribes were allowed to contest elections, the Government was of the view that the word unrepresented tribe need not be included.
Earlier, the sub-committee constituted by the State Government to look into the various concerns, expressed in connection with the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India had decided to recommend Standing Committee of Parliament for the removal of the word “unrepresented tribe” from the amendment to the Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution that seeks to nominate unrepresented tribes in the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs)