SHILLONG: The State Government has justified the extension of GHADC tenure by another six months saying that “this is very much constitutional.”
After the first extension of six months given to GHADC in January this year, the second extension was granted recently.
The former Deputy Chief Minister in-charge law Bindo Lanong and political parties UDP and NCP had criticized the decision of the Government by saying that the extension is unconstitutional since the council is elected for five years.
An official source on Thursday, however, said that the Constitution clearly states the Governor can extend the tenure of the council for two reasons, one is in case of emergency and secondly if circumstances exist which render holding of elections impracticable. The Governor can extend the term for one year at a time, the official source added.
The decision to extend GHADC was based on the Sub Para 6(a) of Paragraph 2 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which says that the tenure of the council can be extended if circumstances exist which make conducting elections impracticable.
According to the official, the present circumstance which renders holding of elections difficult is that the delimitation process has not been completed by GHADC whereas the elections were held in February this year in delimited constituencies in both KHADC and JHADC.
The official further said that the delimitation process is yet to start as far as GHADC is concerned.
Though a committee was constituted in the past for the purpose of delimitation, it is yet to be known whether the present executive committee of GHADC will form a new delimitation committee.
While the delay in completing the delimitation process on the part of GHADC ) is the reason which the Government cites for the fresh extension of another six months to GHADC, the delay in arriving at signing of agreement with ANVC was the reason cited by the Government in the past for its first extension of six months to GHADC in January this year.
The critics and political parties have, however, observed that there is some political motive behind the extension of GHADC twice.
According to sources, if elections are held at this juncture in Garo Hills, many Congress candidates contesting GHADC seats can be defeated and this will be advantageous to the opponents considering the law and order situation in Garo Hills and Congress’ poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
