By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 15: A new report by PRS Legislative Research has revealed that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly sat for only 13 days in 2024—less than half a month of work in an entire year.
The Constitution mandates State Legislatures to meet at least once in six months. Eleven states met this requirement through short sessions that lasted for one or two days.
Meghalaya on an average in between 2017-2024 has sat for assembly for 15 days in a year.
The report, which studied the functioning of 31 state legislatures across the country, shows Meghalaya somewhere in the middle of the national average, far behind top performers like Odisha (42 days), Kerala (38 days), and West Bengal (36 days).
Legislatures are responsible for passing laws, approving government spending, and holding the government accountable. But the limited number of sitting days raises questions about how much time the elected representatives are actually spending on these crucial duties.
Despite the low number of sittings, the report highlights that Meghalaya took its time when it came to passing laws. The state was among the few where over 75% of the Bills were passed after more than five days of discussion—unlike many states where laws were passed within a day of introduction. In fact, over half of all Bills passed in India in 2024 were cleared in just one day, raising concerns over the lack of scrutiny.
In terms of working hours, state Assemblies across India sat for an average of 100 hours last year. In some states like Kerala and Odisha, sitting hours crossed 150. While the report did not specify Meghalaya’s exact hours, the number of sitting days suggests the total hours would be among the lower end.
On the financial front, Meghalaya made a few key amendments in 2024. It revised its Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act to cap the fiscal deficit at 3.5% of its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for the 2023–24 period. This included an additional borrowing limit of 0.5%, linked to power sector reforms. The state also temporarily increased its Contingency Fund from Rs 505 crore to Rs 1,505 crore, effective till March 31, 2024, to meet unforeseen expenses.
Similar financial steps were taken by other states like Manipur and Tamil Nadu. Manipur created a Rs 500 crore Contingency Fund, while Tamil Nadu increased its fund size and pushed back its target to eliminate revenue deficit to 2026–27.