Delimitation panel report by June-end

SHILLONG, June 9: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) delimitation committee is set to submit its report by the last week of June, according to the committee’s chairman, Stralwell Kharsyiemlieh. Tasked with reorganising the council’s 29 constituencies, the committee has been engrossed in preparing its findings.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Sunday, Kharsyiemlieh, who is also a former judge of the KHADC, confirmed that the report is nearly complete. “I have informed the Executive Committee that we will submit our report by the last week of June,” he stated.
However, the process has faced challenges. The committee did not receive the specific electoral rolls for the district council constituencies, which are crucial for their work. Instead, they were provided with the electoral rolls for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, which are not applicable for their purposes.  “The list of voters for the district council constituencies is different,” Kharsyiemlieh explained.
Despite this setback, the committee proceeded with their work to avoid delays. “We needed the electoral rolls of the district council constituencies to accurately assess the number of electorates and the villages attached to the existing 29 constituencies,” he added.
The committee has managed to address several petitions received during the delimitation process, though a petition submitted in the last week of May could not be accommodated due to time constraints. “We did not have any more time to conduct hearings for them,” Kharsyiemlieh noted.
The Governor had earlier extended the Council’s term for six months from March 13, following a recommendation by the Cabinet, providing the committee with additional time to finalize their report.
Kharsyiemlieh concluded, “We will try our best to produce a report that will be acceptable to all, but we also understand that it is impossible to ensure that everyone is happy with the report.”