JOWAI: The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) in an emergent special session on Monday unanimously approved the amendment of the “The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Establishment of Elaka and Village and Election, Appointment, Powers, Functions, and Jurisdiction of Dolloi, Sirdar, Waheh Shnong) Bill, 2015.
This is the second time that the JHADC has convened a special session for amendment of the same Bill after it was first approved in the House during the last summer session following the ruling of the High Court of Meghalaya which had de-recognized the powers and functions of the traditional heads, particularly the headmen or the Rangbah Shnong.
Monday’s special emergent session was summoned following an order received from the Under Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, District Council Affairs, dated December 16, 2015 based on the eleven points of observations which were in need of modification from the bill submitted earlier.
The session started at 11 AM and was over only after around 15 minutes as the amendments were considered without any discussion or objection by the Opposition. After the end of the special session, JHADC chief Thombor Shiwat said, “What the Governor wants we have done and we now strongly hope that the bill will become an act immediately when the governor gives his assent.”
“We urge him to give his assent to the bill so that it can be presented to the people as a New Year gift if not as a Christmas gift,” Shiwat added.
