KSU: KHADC take stakeholders on board

***KSU leaders meeting KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum-left. Also seen is NESO chairperson and former KSU president Samuel Jyrwa- middle***

SHILLONG, FEB 5: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has suggested to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council –KHADC- to take all the stakeholders on board before coming up with a strong and effective KHADC-Village Administration Bill.

KSU president Daniel Khyriem told reporters after meeting KHADC chief executive member Adelbert Nongrum, “We have urged the council to take the views and suggestions of all stakeholders including traditional heads and social organizations on board in its propose amendment of its village administration Bill.”

Khyriem said the intention is to ensure that the district council will have a strong and effective Bill, which will empower the traditional heads and the indigenous community. He further informed that the union had also recently convened a meeting with headmen from different villages on the issue.

Khyreim informed that the KSU will soon submit its suggestions and recommendations besides the drawbacks in the bill to the KHADC for rectification and necessary amendments. He also said KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum had assured the delegation that he would soon convened a meeting of all the headmen on the matter.

Earlier, the state government had returned the village administration Bill passed by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on ground that it still lagging the ‘ingredients of democratic aspects’.

The District Council Affairs (DCA) department while returning the bill had also said -‘Further on close examination regarding the duties, accountability, and responsibility of the Dorbar Shnong and Rangbah Shnong are certainly in ‘conflict’ and ‘duplicity’ to that of the State government and other existing Acts and Rules of the KHADC.”

While stating that the bill was made under the purview of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, the KHADC had also sought clarification from the DCA asking it to specifically pinpoint the drawbacks and flaws in the Bill.

The reply from the DCA department is still awaited by the KHADC.- By Our Reporter