SHILLONG, OCT 9: Demanding the removal of Advocate General Amit Kumar, the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) on Wednesday said Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is putting the interest of one individual above institutional credibility.
CoMSO general secretary Balkarin Ch Marak said the government has ignored the growing opposition from lawyers and questions over the AG’s office.
“The government has continued to fail to act against Advocate General Shri Amit Kumar despite opposition from the legal fraternity and serious questions surrounding his conduct,” Marak said.
He said the Chief Minister’s assurances to the legal fraternity have proved hollow.
“He cannot repeatedly give assurances and then allow them to be rendered meaningless. If the Chief Minister’s word carries no value, then what credibility remains?” Marak said.
The organisation alleged lack of transparency on legal expenditure and RTI replies.
“Why should the people of Meghalaya be kept in the dark about how crores of rupees are spent on legal representation? The refusal to provide satisfactory information under RTI raises the question – what is the government trying to hide?” he said.
Questioning the appointment, Marak said, “Why rely on an outsider when Meghalaya has senior, competent and qualified local advocates capable of holding the office?”
He said the deadlock is affecting the judiciary.
“The confrontation has affected functioning of courts and ordinary citizens seeking justice are suffering. The responsibility lies squarely with the government,” Marak said.
He added, “Meghalaya is not the private domain of the government. The Chief Minister’s silence is increasingly seen as a deliberate decision to protect Amit Kumar rather than uphold public accountability.”
By Our Reporter
