By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 13: The KHADC Executive Committee (EC) on Wednesday denied seeking to extend the term of the present House.
Replying to the question raised by War during the Question Hour on the final day of the council’s budget session, Syiem said the Delimitation Committee had written to the EC seeking the extension. The request was forwarded to the state government through the District Council Affairs (DCA) Department.
He informed the House that the Governor notified the extension of the term for six months with effect from March 13 following a Cabinet recommendation.
Syiem also said the EC has not set any time frame for the Delimitation Committee to complete the exercise since it wanted the delimitation for the existing 29 constituencies to be done properly. “We will not be able to say if the Delimitation Committee will complete the exercise within these six months,” he added.
“We have only been informed that the committee conducted hearings in a few villages and localities to facilitate the delimitation exercise,” Syiem said.
Inheritance bill: Non-tabling of status report resented
The Opposition UDP on Wednesday slammed the KHADC’s Executive Committee (EC) for failing to table a report on the status of the Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021, which was referred to the Select Committee.
Moving a motion during the final day of the council’s budget session, the UDP’s Mawthadraishan MDC Jambor War said the Opposition members have been in the dark about the status of this important bill.
Echoing similar concern, Opposition leader Titosstarwell Chyne said he expected the report from the Select Committee on the status of the bill during this session of the council. “We have to understand that the bill is the property of the House, which has to decide on it,” he said.
He pointed out that the Select Committee did not meet even once after it was reconstituted.
Chyne said the objective of the bill was to address the concern that a son never gets a share of the parental property.
Deputy Chief Executive Member, PN Syiem regretted the council’s inability to convene a meeting of the Select Committee to deliberate on the inheritance bill.
“I understand the importance of this bill as there are many families who have had to deal with a situation where the paternal property goes to the youngest daughter due to the absence of a will after the expiry of both parents,” he said.
According to him, the Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021, permits equal distribution of parental property among all siblings – both male and female – if the parents desire so.
“We will try to retable the bill in the next session,” he added.
In Khasi matrilineal society, the ancestral property is traditionally awarded to the youngest daughter.