SHILLONG, NOV 5: Meghalaya government on Thursday gave its commitment to aggressively pursue the Village Administration Bills (VAB) with the Centre and the Governor for the latter’s assent besides restricting the operations of MUDA building byelaws to municipality areas only.
While assuring there will be no fresh bill in as far as traditional institutions is concerned, the state government however maintained its firm stand on the Prevention of Disqualification (Members of Legislative Assembly) (Amendment) Act, 2015, which seeks to ensure one man, one post.
It has also expressed its inability to issue a notification pertaining to the issuing of certificates by traditional heads, in view of the KHAD (Appointment and Succession of Chiefs & Headmen) Rules, 2015 as it was framed outside the provisions of the United Khasi Jaintia Autonomous District (Appointment and Succession of Chiefs & Headmen) Act, 1959.
The assurances was given to the 30-delegation of the Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong Ka Bri U Hynniewtrep (SNSBH) at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday.
“We are committed to aggressively pursue the matter with the Centre by invoking all measures to ensure that the Governor either assent it in its original form or sent it back with suggestion, as far as the VAB passed by the KHADC is concerned,” Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said.
He, however, informed that the VAB passed by the JHADC is pending with the Governor and not with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
According to him, the JHADC Bill unlike the one passed by the KHADC, is found to be free from conflict with any laws passed by the Parliament or State legislature. “Therefore, we would be taking it up with the Governor and I hope it will not take us one month to do it,” Sangma assured.
He also assured that the state government had withdrawn its move from coming up with any fresh bill on the issue related to traditional institutions, of which a committee tasked with the responsibility had also been recently denotified, which clearly demonstrated the government’s commitment.
Earlier, the SNSBH president Dr Werlock Kharshiing announced that the Synjuk had decided to serve a one-month deadline to the government to ensure that the VABs, passed by the KHADC & JHADC are given assent by the Governor.
According to him, this is because the state government could pressurize the Governor to give assent to the bill against dual post within a weeks time inspite of the matter related to the issue is sub-judice before the Court.
He also suggested the state government to pass a resolution to decide on certain subjects to be fully with the state government and those to be full under the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) to avoid such stalemate.
Further, the Chief Minister had also assured the delegation that the government had decided to restrict the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) from operationalize the building byelaws not beyond the municipality areas.
“The operational part in as far as MUDA byelaws is concerned we have decided to keep it in abeyance except only in municipal areas,” Sangma said.
He has also assured that instructions will be given to the departments of PHE and MeECL to ensure there is no restriction of water and electricity supply to the new constructed houses owners.
Earlier while taking part in the discussion, SNSBH general secretary RL Blah demanded that the MUDA notification should be denotified immediately since its illegal for it to operate in schedule areas without the consent of the district council.
He also lambasted the failure of the MUDA, a result which is visible from the fact that the High Court had taken action against illegal high rise buildings in the state capital.
Meanwhile, the traditional chiefs had demanded the state government to put the recently passed Prevention of Disqualification (Members of Legislative Assembly) (Amendment) Act, 2015, in “cold storage” till 2019, when the term of the ADCs will end.
“It took for the government to implement the Meghalaya Private Nursing Bill, which was passed way back in 1995, only recently but has taken a swift decision to implement the amendment bill within a week,” Dr Kharshiing said.
Blah, on the hand, clarified that the traditional chiefs are not pleading the issue on behalf of anybody as they are not associated with any of the political parties but it is because that the KHADC has just started to realize the need to fulfill the aspiration of the traditional institutions.
According to him, the chiefs also fully appreciate the move of the government in coming up with this bill.
On this, the Chief Minister said, “The bill cannot be put in cold storage till 2019 since its already effective from October 1,” adding “The passing of the bill is a legislative measure which the state government had to do.”
He however said, “It would depend on the MLAs who are holding MDCs to take a call on the matter and the government would not like to interfere.- By Our Reporter
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