By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 29: The Cabinet approved the schedule for the preparation of electoral rolls for the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council.
The GHADC is scheduled to go to polls early next year.
Asked if non-tribal voters would be allowed to vote in the GHADC polls, Commissioner and Secretary of District Council Affairs Department, Cyril V.D. Diengdoh, said the respective deputy commissioners will have to follow the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951, in this regard.
The rules govern all the three autonomous district councils in Meghalaya.
Diengdoh said that the main criteria for voting in the ADC polls is that the voter has to be a permanent resident of the state. “Everything will be as per process,” he said.
He said that there is a period of filing of claims and publication of draft and final roles and those who are entitled to, can vote.
He also said that if the district councils have opinions in terms of changing the rules, they are free to put forward the same. “There were no issues when the KHADC and JHADC elections were held earlier this year,” he added.
“People voted in large numbers in both the KHADC and JHADC elections,” he said.
