SHILLONG, June 17: KHNAM working president Thomas Passah on Wednesday expressed concern over the KHADC’s continued delay in amending AD Rule 128, noting that the issue has remained unresolved for a decade despite repeated demands.
In a statement, Passah said the party has consistently pushed successive Executive Committees (ECs) to amend the rule since 2016.
He noted that while representations were submitted to the Chief Executive Member (CEM) in April and followed up with the current leadership, no concrete steps have been taken.
“We are disappointed that the matter has not been prioritised at a time when there were opportunities to address it,” he said.
He remarked that even recent developments in the Garo Hills failed to prompt the KHADC to treat the amendment as an urgent matter.
While the KHADC has formed a committee to review the entire set of Autonomous District (AD) Rules, Passah argued that Rule 128 should be isolated and addressed immediately. He described it as a simpler matter that can be resolved now, whereas a comprehensive review of all rules will be time-consuming.
“We are of the opinion that amending AD Rule 128 should be prioritised before undertaking a comprehensive review of all the rules,” he said.
Passah maintained that if the process is initiated now, the state government and the Governor would likely prioritise granting assent.
He cautioned that the present Executive Committee would be held responsible for any future obstacles or delays in securing assent if they choose to hold back while the timing is favourable.
