SHILLONG, Dec 14: The cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for amendment to the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act (MCRMA), 2012.
“The MCRMA, 2012 was enacted to provide for compulsory registration of marriages. The Act makes it mandatory for married men and women to compulsorily furnish a marriage certificate issued under the Act for all official purposes,” Health Minister, James Sangma said.
Through an amendment in 2017, he said, provision of the Act was made applicable to the parties, to the marriage or in case of living together or cohabitation not covered by the respective personal laws.
Stating that the principal Act, however, did not define the meaning of “official purposes”, the Minister said by way of amendment to the Act in 2019, the term “official purposes” was defined as “under official purposes” which would mean a contract or marriage entered between the parties for addressing issues pertaining to pension, succession and maintenance of spouse.
Amendment was proposed to this Act to delete the phrase “and such marriage certificates shall be required for all official purposes at the end of section 3 as per notification”, the Minister said, adding that wherever the term “official purposes” is mentioned, it is proposed to be deleted.
Another amendment was proposed to the Act in respect of definition of Registrar General of Marriages under section 2G.
The cabinet also approved the Meghalaya State Consumer Protection Council and District Consumer Protection Council Rules, 2021; Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, proposed list of holidays for 2022-23, ratification of Meghalaya Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 2005; proposed e-Court Fee Rule, 2021 and Meghalaya Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 2005.
Stating that six agenda were taken up, discussed and approved by the cabinet, Sangma said the proposed list of holidays for the 2022-23 fiscal was placed for discussion and the cabinet passed the proposal.
He said the proposed e-Court Fee Rule 2021 intended to raise the level of e-payment of court fees. The court fee certificate can be used for all judicial purposes, he said.
Sangma said the Meghalaya State Consumer Protection Council and District Consumer Protection Council Rules 2021 were approved by the cabinet after a discussion. He said the cabinet also approved the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021.
The rules have been drafted in order to operationalise the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 which seeks to enable the Excise department to not only tap the revenue potential of gaming, online and otherwise, but also to regulate gaming within the state.
Sangma said the Meghalaya Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 2005 was approved regarding the formation of the natural resource committee at the VEC level. “It has been one of the focal points under the MGNREGA and the Ministry of Rural Development has laid emphasis on the need to increase expenditure on the natural resource management and related activities through MGNREGA,” he added.