By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 21: The opposition UDP in the KHADC, on Thursday, pushed for the reconstitution of the select committee constituted by the House to fine tune and re-examine the Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021, whose primary objective is to streamline the distribution of ancestral and self-acquired property.
It may be noted that in the Khasi matrilineal society, the parental property is traditionally awarded to the youngest daughter.
Raising the matter during the Question Hour on the second day of the Council’s winter session, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Titosstarwell Chyne said the present NPP-led Executive Committee (EC) should have tabled a report on the status of the Bill so that the select committee can be reconstituted.
“The EC has failed to table the report even in the current session. We need to understand that the select committee was constituted by the House and not by the EC. Since the Bill is the property of this House, any decision to reconstitute the select committee would be done by this House,” Chyne said.
The LoP also said that he hopes that the present EC will table the report on the status of the Bill in the next session.
In his reply, Deputy Chief Executive Member (CEM) PN Syiem said that it is not necessary that they will wait till the next session to table the report. “The EC will try if the report can be tabled in this session itself since there is still one day more for the session to conclude,” Syiem.
Earlier, while asking about the status of the various Bills passed by the Council from 2019 to 2023, UDP MDC Jambor War said the previous EC led by the UDP had passed a total number of 13 Bills.
According to him, a total of five bills had received the assent of the Governor.
He added that there are two Bills which were referred to the select committee including the Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021.
“But as members, we are not privy as to the status of this Bill since the EC is yet to table the report on the floor of the House,” War, who was also the former Executive Member in charge of Elaka department, said.