SHILLONG, OCT 17: The Meghalaya People’s United Front (MPUF) has demanded implementation of the Representation of People (Second Amendment) Act, 1987 to ensure that all 60 constituencies in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly are reserved as scheduled tribe (ST) seats.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) Frederick K Kharkongor here on Tuesday, MPUF president Dapoiwanmi Laloo said, “The implementation of the Act will to a great extent help in protecting and safeguarding the rights and interest of the people of indigenous community which is facing the problem of influx and illegal immigration.”
Stating that Meghalaya, which is going for fresh polls early next year, is having at least five general seats, he said that it is high time that these constituencies are also reserved as schedule tribe and ensure that they are represented by candidates from the indigenous community.
He informed a bill was passed by the Parliament in 1987, to provide for increased representation to scheduled tribes in the legislative assemblies of the North East states which include Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland.
Laloo in the memorandum submitted to the CEO also said that the Representation of People (Third Amendment) Act, was enacted by the Parliament to specify the number of seats which shall be reserved for the scheduled tribe.
“This was entrusted to the Election Commission through Amendment made in the Representation of the People’s Act, 1950,” he added.
According to him, for the readjustment of seats and fresh delimitation of Parliament and Assembly constituencies after each decennial census were amended by the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act.
He said as per this Act, it determine the constituencies in the state in which seats shall be reserved for the scheduled tribe and cause such order to be published in official gazette and upon such publication the order shall have the full force of law and shall not be call in question in any court and the delimitation of parliament and assembly constituencies order, 1976.
Asked, Laloo said that the chief electoral officer has assured the delegation that he would take up the matter with the Election Committee.
The MPUF president also informed that a similar memorandum was also submitted to the chief minister and all 60 legislators of the state Assembly besides chief executive members (CEMs) and MDCs of the three autonomous district councils (ADCs) – KHADC, JHADC & GHADC.
“We believe that decision on such matter should be taken at the level state government,” he said.
While referring to the demand raised for bringing amendment to the AD Rules in the KHADC to prevent non-indigenous people from participation in the election process, he however said the Representation of People’s Act is far powerful than the AD Rules if it is being implemented in letter and spirit.
By Our Reporter
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