The District Councils in Meghalaya seem fixated only on the increase in the number of elected members from 30 to 40 for the Khasi and Garo Hills District Councils and 34 for the Jaintia Hills District Council. But the amended Bill provides for Village and Municipal Councils in addition to the District and Regional Councils. Village Councils will be established for villages or groups of villages in rural areas, and Municipal Councils will be established in urban areas of each district. Further, the District Councils may make laws on various issues, including: (i) number of Village and Municipal Councils to be formed, and their composition, (ii) delimitation of constituencies for election to the Village and Municipal Councils, (iii) powers and functions of Village and Municipal Councils.
The Bill also states that the Governor may make rules for devolution of powers and responsibilities to the Village and Municipal Councils. Such rules may be framed in relation to: (i) preparation of plans for economic development, (ii) implementation of land reforms, (iii) urban and town planning, and (iv) regulation of land-use, among other functions.What is also of significance if that the Bill provides for the appointment of a Finance Commission for these states which are under the purview of the Sixth Schedule in order to review the financial position of the District, Village, and Municipal Councils. The Commission will make recommendations regarding: (i) distribution of taxes between states and District Councils, (ii) grants-in-aid to District, Village, and Municipal Councils from the Consolidated Fund of the state, (iii) and measures to improve the financial position of District, Village, and Municipal Councils. This is what is much needed in Meghalaya as the funds will devolve to the lowest rung of governance – the Dorbar Shnong etc.
The amendment also seeks to empower the Finance Commission to make recommendations on measures to augment the Consolidated Fund of a state to provide resources to District Councils, Village Councils, and Municipal Councils in tribal areas in the four Sixth Schedule states. Another important aspect is that elections to the District Councils, Village Councils, and Municipal Councils will be conducted by the State Election Commission appointed by the Governor. And last but not least what will stabilise the Councils is the disqualification of their members on grounds of defection. This has in fact been the bane of all the Councils in Meghalaya where MDCs migrate en-masse to the ruling party in the State Government immediately after they are elected from a particular party and hence deceive the people who elected them on the basis of their faith in a particular party.
