SHILLONG, Dec 18: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said a section of people is trying to endorse the idea that Meghalaya does not need district councils any more.
“Some people are talking on social media about the need to replace the Sixth Schedule. I would not like to debate with them. My only appeal to them is to go deep to understand the importance of the Sixth Schedule,” he said on Thursday.
He said 99% of the areas in the state are exempted from the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, just because the provisions of the Sixth Schedule are in force in Meghalaya.
According to him, this shows how the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution is critical to protecting the interests and rights of the microscopic indigenous tribal communities of the state.
Earlier, the KHADC’s Chief Executive Member Pyniaid Sing Syiem expressed concern over the campaign of a few people against the “redundant” district councils.
He said it took 73 years to bring an amendment to the Sixth Schedule, asking how many more years it would take to get a new Act to protect the indigenous people.
Syiem said the campaign is being run when the district councils are fighting to insert some provisions in the amendment to the Sixth Schedule to become stronger.
