By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 12: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, in charge of District Council Affairs (DCA), said the state government will stick to what the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (Constitution of District Council) (Amendment) Rules, 2024, recommends on the nominated MDC.
“We will stick to the rules. It is clear that the recommendation for the nominated MDC will come from the Executive Committee (EC) of each Autonomous District Council (ADC),” he said on Saturday.
His statement gains significance amid reports that the state government is unlikely to accept the VPP-led Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council EC’s recommendation of a name for the lone post of nominated MDC in the council.
Asked if any proposal has been received from the KHADC and the JHADC, Tynsong answered in the negative. “Once we get the proposal, the government will review and make a decision. It is for the respective ECs to send the proposal first, and then only the government can take it forward,” he said.
Earlier, senior NPP leader and Rajya Sabha member Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi asked the state government to accept the ADCs’ recommendation on the nominated MDCs.
In December 2015, the KHADC unanimously passed a resolution during a special session, naming the council’s retired judge J. Reenbohn as the nominated member.
The EC, then led by Pynshngain N. Syiem as the Chief Executive Member, criticised the Congress-led government for recommending a different name to the KHADC, despite the council forwarding the name of the non-political Reenbohn for the post.
The then Congress-led government recommended a former minister for the nominated MDC’s post, bypassing the KHADC resolution.
This led to a deadlock, with the Governor returning both proposals to the state government for a final decision. As a result, no nominated MDC was appointed during that period.