HYC against new bill, wants VAB

SHILLONG, SEPT 2: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has demanded the state government refrain from bringing another bills to empower the headmen and traditional institutions but wait for the Governor’s assent to VAB which then becomes an Act as the subject is related to the district councils (ADCs).

Two days ago the state cabinet had decided to draft new bill to replace the ordinance even as it admitted that there were flaws in some of its provisions of the latter that might gives scope for misinterpretation.

After meeting deputy chief minister-in-charge law- Rowell Lyngdoh on Wednesday, HYC general secretary Robertjune Kharjahrin told reporters “We want the state government to refrain from coming up with any other laws related to the traditional institutions and chiefs as it is the subject matter of the district councils.”

Terming the move of the government to bring another bill as ‘anti-indigenous custom’, Kharjahrin said, “When we opposed the ordinance it doesn’t mean that we are opposing the provisions in it but we are opposing the ‘spirit’ of the ordinance, which is a state law.”

He said the KHADC, JHADC and GHADC have already put in place acts and some of them have come up with certain rules to empower the traditional bodies and headmen besides the VABs but the state government wants to override it by bringing the ordinance and now another bill.

Stating the move will only compound confusion besides delaying the process of ending the current stalemate, Kharjahrin said, “The government by saying that it is coming up with new bill will only create confusion and the Governor will be in dilemma on whether give his assent to the new bill of the government or the two VABs of the ADCs.”

He also reminded that VABs was approved by the Law and District Council Affairs (DCA) departments of the state government.

On his meeting with Lyngdoh, Kharjarin said the  deputy chief minister assured them that he will take up their suggestions to chief minister Mukul Sangma and also in the forum of political parties which will be convened on September 8 to discuss the issue.

He said, “Though Lyngdoh expressed happiness over our suggestions but we rejected when he defended his government by saying the new bill was just to plug the gap.”.

As a mark of protest against the cabinet to bring another bill, the HYC has decided to go ahead with their earlier decision to march to the main secretariat on September 14.- By Our Reporter