SHILLONG: The Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by Rajya Sabha member Anand Sharma, which held discussions on the proposed amendment to Sixth Schedule, will submit its report before the Committee by March.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting as many as 27 orgnisations, Anand Sharma said that Committee was hopeful of submitting its report by March.
Terming the meeting as good, Sharma said that the Committee heard the stakeholders and representatives of the tribal organisatons and Autonomous District Councils about their views on the proposed amendment which deals directly with the autonomous District Councils.
The matters related to increase of seats in the district councils, representation of women and the issues related to status of unrepresented tribes in councils also figured in the meeting.
Speaking to media persons later, KHADC Chairman, PN Syiem said that they said that they wanted 35 MDCs in the KHADC which should have two nominated MDCs including one woman MDC.
He also said that they wanted to maintain their tradition by having village durbars instead of Village Councils.
He argued that in KHADC, all the scheduled tribes are still qualified to vote and contest the elections and hence there should be not quota for the unrepresented tribes
TUR member, Angela Rangad and Agnes Kharshiing lamented that they were not given invitation by the District Council Affairs Department for the meeting,
Rangad, however. said that she had flagged issues about woman representation in the Council to ensure that the ADCs are more inclusive, participatory and democratic as these things are not happening at the ground level.
She also said that more thoughts have come into their mind on how to substantiate their demands and they would make additional submission before the Committee about their demands.
She also asked the citizens of the state to approach the Committee with their demands and aspirations
Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) which submitted a representation before the Committee, said that entire state should be declared as tribal area falling within the purview of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The organisation also suggested that the Governor of the state should be empowered to exempt and modify any Act of Parliament in the state of Meghalaya even as the reiterated that the word unrepresented tribe should be deleted.