SHILLONG: The Sate Government’s lukewarm response to the Village Administration Bill is apparently due to the fact that the Bill encroached upon the state as well as the Central subjects.
An official with the Law Department has said that the Bill incorporated the subjects like Land ceiling and Tourism which are under concurrent lists, Transfer of Property Act and Labour (Central subjects), and Land Transfer Act (State subject). The official also said that the Village Bill was sent back to KHADC three times, in 2006, 2012 and in 2014, but no changes were made by the Council.
Amid criticism about the role of state government in promulgating the ordinance to empower headmen, , the official clarified that the state government has power to issue ordinance as per the legal provision.
“As per item 5 of List II of Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, the State Government can pass laws on village administration”, the official added.
Earlier, the former Deputy Chief Minister in charge law Bindo Lanong criticized the State Government for encroaching upon the powers of the District Council.
He had said that para 3 (5) of Sixth Schedule is specific about the powers of district councils with respect to the appointment of chiefs and headmen.
