By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 23: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Friday unanimously passed the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (Constitution of District Council) (Amendment) Rules, 2024, seeking the delimitation of constituencies for the upcoming polls to reorganise the council’s 29 existing constituencies.
The amendment rules were passed without any debate during the one-day special session.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Executive Member PN Syiem had moved the amendment rules.
The amendment rules were again tabled during Friday’s special session after the recommendations of the Select Committee were incorporated. The committee was assigned to examine the report of the delimitation committee.
The Executive Committee had tabled the amendment rules during the previous session of the council held in July to delimit the existing constituencies based on the delimitation committee’s recommendations.
However, the members had suggested that the matter pertaining to the amendment rules should be referred to the Select Committee to examine the delimitation committee’s report.
The Select Committee, headed by the Deputy CEM, had two sittings and disposed of around ten petitions received from various localities and villages that were unhappy with the delimitation committee’s recommendations.
Talking to reporters after the special session, the Deputy CEM said the council will submit the amendment rules to the Governor in a day or two for his approval.
Stating that the delimitation committee had tried its best to rationalise the number of voters in various constituencies, Syiem said the same could not be done in some constituencies including Mawlai which has the highest number of voters.
He said only Mawpat, which has around 5,000 voters and was with the Mawlai constituency, has been added to Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah constituency.
Syiem said the Select Committee had rejected the recommendation of the delimitation panel to add Mawlai Mawroh to Jaiaw constituency following opposition from the residents.
He said they have been able to rationalise the number of voters in Nongstoin constituency by removing some villages and adding them to Mawshynrut and Rambrai-Jyrngam constituencies.
Informing that they could not do much to rationalise voters in the urban constituencies, he said that some sort of rationalisation could be done for Laban-Mawprem and Laitumkhrah-Malki constituencies.
Meanwhile, Syiem said the decision to start the process of conducting the election of the council will now depend on the state government.
He said it is up to the government whether or not to again extend the term of the present house. The six-month extension granted earlier will come to an end on September 5.
As per the amendment rules, Umsawli, Lyngkien and Mawsier villages, which were under Laitumkhrah constituency, have been added to Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah constituency.
Cleve Colony, Risa Colony and Tripura Castle, which were under Nongthymmai constituency, have been added to Laitumkhrah-Malki constituency.
Lumdorbar, Lumsohphoh, Mynsain and Kynjatphutbol, which were under Laitumkhrah-Malki constituency, have been added to Laban-Mawprem constituency.
Similarly, Nongrim Hills, which were under Laitumkhrah-Malki constituency, have been added to Nongthymmai constituency.
Lapalang and Nongrah, falling under Sohryngkham constituency, have been added to Nongthymmai constituency.
Mawkasiang, Mawdiangdiang, Mawlong, Seisiej, Lumkseh and Lumdiengsai, which were under Laitumkhrah-Malki constituency, have been added to Sohryngkham constituency.
Mawlai’s NPP MDC
airs satisfaction
Meanwhile, Mawlai NPP MDC, Teibor Pathaw, has expressed satisfaction that the Mawlai Mawroh locality will continue to be part of the Mawlai constituency.
Speaking to reporters after the one-day special session of the KHADC on Friday, Pathaw highlighted that the residents of Mawlai Mawroh had strongly opposed the delimitation committee’s initial recommendation to attach their locality to the Jaiaw constituency.
He praised the Dorbar Shnong of Mawlai Mawroh for leading the efforts to ensure the locality remained within the Mawlai constituency.
Pathaw noted that the Dorbar Shnong had even submitted a representation to the Select Committee, opposing the move to attach the locality to the Jaiaw constituency.
“Now the Mawlai constituency is intact as per the expectations of the people,” the NPP MDC stated.
However, Pathaw acknowledged that there was limited success in rationalising the number of voters, as the Mawlai constituency will continue to have approximately 47,000 electorates.
He also extended his gratitude to the people of Mawpat, who are now attached to the Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah constituency, for their support during his tenure as MDC.
In response to a query, Pathaw mentioned that they would not oppose the division of the Mawlai constituency into two, should there be an increase in council seats under the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.