By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 10: Patience seems to be wearing thin as the government continues to delay the appointment of the much-looked-forward-to Chairperson of Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW). The process, however, could be completed this month.
Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh, who recently took a review of the appointment of the MSCW Chairperson, said, “The search committee that has already gone into mobilising the names with the mandate to come up with suitable suggestions, has come up with four names”.
He, however said, “There is a small glitch here. The remaining term of the current chairperson is one year but since we have gone for a public advertisement we want the term of the next chairperson to be at the helm of affairs for the next three years”.
“However, under the Acts that empower us, the vice chairperson of the commission becomes the acting chairperson until we appoint a regular incumbent, but we should be able to complete the entire process within this month”.
The Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) has been without a chairperson since Phidalia Toi resigned in June.
The Returning Officer of Jowai constituency had slapped a show-cause notice on Phidalia Toi for participating in an election rally of the then Jowai NPP candidate, Wailadmiki Shylla.
The delay in the appointment of the new chairperson has affected the overall functioning of the commission, sources in the commission said.
According to them, the MSCW has not been able to finalise any programme without anyone at the helm. They said it is difficult for the vice-chairperson to take up the responsibility of the chairperson since she is based in Garo Hills and is preoccupied with engagements there.
In the absence of a chairperson, Meghalaya has to be represented by a member for any meeting of the National Commission for Women, which has shown the state in poor light.
