By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 8: The Meghalaya government is perhaps sitting on district council elections, while on the sidelines, the current term of the KHADC and JHADC is coming to an end on March 5 this year.
Interestingly, it was also learnt that two District Council Affairs department officers were removed in October last year.
Sources revealed that that the government has appointed Cyril V Diengdoh and A Mawlong, who apparently do not have any experience insofar is heading the DCA department is concerned.
At this crucial juncture, the removal of two senior officers who were in-charge of the DCA department for a prolonged time raises questions.
The elections are warranted to elect the new House of the two district councils before the end of the term.
However, the machinery is silent and there is no word about the preparation by the District Council Affairs (DCA) department to conduct the elections.
The election is normally conducted at the end of February.
It may be mentioned that the state government and KHADC are already facing a major setback following a petition filed by one Dominic Warjri questioning the “illegal action” of the KHADC’s Executive Committee (EC) in constituting the Delimitation Committee to determine the boundaries of the 29 constituencies under its jurisdiction.
The High Court of Meghalaya on December 28 last year had allowed the petitioner to serve a notice to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the state government to list the case within four weeks.
Justice Wanlura Diengdoh heard a prayer made by K Paul, a senior counsel, who appeared for the petitioner seeking steps for issuance of notice to the respondents, including the KHADC and the state government.
“As prayed for, the same is allowed. Let notice be issued, the same is returnable within four weeks. List the matter after vacation,” Justice Diengdoh had said in the order.
The petitioner stated that the EC, through a notification on October 20, decided to re-examine and scrutinise the delimitation of the constituencies for the MDC elections.
According to him, the EC issued another notification on November 15 inviting the public of the constituencies to file written representation/objection/petitions/views and comments on the proposed Delimitation Bill.
Warjri also stated that dates were fixed for public hearings and notified in the leading local dailies.
He said the delimitation exercise is being carried out by the EC without following the mandatory procedures as postulated in the Constitution of India and the instructions given by the Department of District Council Affairs (DCA) through a letter issued on October 28, 2013.