SHILLONG, Feb 3: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has decided to reject the recommendation of the state government on the formation of village councils as proposed in the amendments to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
“We have made it very clear that we will not accept the village council since it will conflict with the Dorbar Shnong,” said KHADC CEM, Titosstarwell Chyne, while speaking to reporters after the meeting of the ruling coalition, United Democratic Alliance (UDA), on Thursday.
Earlier, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had informed that the state cabinet has proposed that village councils will be elected but the traditional heads like the Rangbah Shnong, Sirdar and Nokma will be the de facto chairman.
They (govt) had stressed that the proposed amendments to the Sixth Schedule should be to bolster the existing traditional institutions, especially the Dorbar Shnong, Chyne said.
The KHADC CEM also said that they have rejected the proposal of the Union Home Ministry to form a cluster council of ten villages under one Rangbah Shnong. “We are of the view that this is going to create more confusion,” he said.
Chyne, however, gave the thumbs up to the state cabinet for including their suggestions such as removal of the word ‘unrepresented tribes’ and increasing the number of seats in the district councils.
Meanwhile, he said that a delegation of the Council will soon call on the chief minister to give their take on the formation of the village councils in the state.
Chyne said they will also apprise the chief minister of the delay in release of the three schemes which were approved by the Centre for the KHADC.
“It has been more than three months since the schemes were release by the Centre but the state government is yet to release them for the Council,” the KHADC CEM alleged.