By Our Reporter
Shillong, Nov 17: The delimitation committee, constituted by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), will begin holding public hearings from November 21.
Former KHADC judge Dr Stralwell Kharsyiemlieh heads the committee as chairman. The other members are former MLA Dr S Loniak Marbaniang, NEHU teacher Prof D Rockyer L Nonglait and retired schoolteacher R Myrboh. Former KHADC secretary Monsoon Kharkrang is the member-secretary.
According to the terms of reference, the committee will conduct public hearings at designated places to collect the views and opinions of people of the constituencies.
Kharsyiemlieh told reporters on Friday that the public hearings for the two constituencies of Mawkyrwat and Langrin in South West Khasi Hills will be held on November 21 at the office of the council in Mawkyrwat.
On November 24, the committee will hold similar hearings at Mairang for the two constituencies of Mairang-Nongkhlaw and Pariong-Mawthadraishan in Eastern West Khasi Hills.
He said they are planning to hold the public hearings for the constituencies in East Khasi Hills in three phases.
According to him, the first public hearing will be held for Sohryngkham, Mawkynrew, Nongkrem, Lyngkyrdem-Laitkroh, Nongshken and Mawsynram on November 28. The second will be held on December 1 for Sohra and Shella constituencies in Sohra.
He also said that the final hearing for East Khasi Hills will be held for Mylliem, Laban-Mawprem, Nongthymmai, Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah, Malki-Pynthorumkhrah, Jaiaw, Mawlai, Mawphlang-Diengiei and Nongspung-Sohiong constituencies on December 13.
Kharsyiemlieh said the public hearing for the five constituencies of Umroi, Jirang, Nongpoh, Umsning and Mawhati in Ri-Bhoi district will be held at the council’s office in Nongpoh on December 6 while the same for Nongstoin and Mawshynrut constituencies in West Khasi Hills will be held on December 15. The hearing will be held from 11am to 4pm.
“We might hold some more hearings for East Khasi Hills, if necessary, since there are too many constituencies falling under this district,” Kharsyiemlieh said.
He urged the general public, especially traditional heads, to attend the public hearings.
Meanwhile, Kharsyiemlieh said the Executive Committee (EC) of KHADC felt the need to constitute a committee after receiving several representations from people who wanted to be a part of another constituency.
“It was finally constituted after receiving the approval from the Governor,” he said, adding the EC is of the view that there should not be a huge difference in terms of population in the constituencies.
“The council wanted to ensure that there is no disparity in the allotment of any schemes and programmes. But disparity cannot be avoided if there is a huge difference in terms of population from one constituency to another,” he said.
To a query, Kharsyiemlieh said Mawlai had more than 45,000 voters but Laban-Mawprem had only around 12,000 voters in the last election to KHADC.
He said the EC of KHADC has not issued any deadline to complete the exercise “but they want us to complete it as early as possible.”
He said the committee will try to complete it before the district council elections.
“We will brief the EC if we are not able to complete the exercise before the elections. Now, it is too early to say anything,” he added.
Nonglait said the delimitation exercise is needed as the Eastern West Khasi Hills district has been newly created.
According to him, some villages in West Khasi Hills are part of the Nongstoin constituency in Assembly elections but they come under Rambrai-Jyrngam in district council elections.
“It will be good if such things can be rectified,” he added.