SHILLONG, APR 5: Meghalaya government has notified a 50-member committee to recommend a legislative bill for ‘institutionalization of traditional institutions’ in the state.
The 50 member-committee will be headed by chief adviser to the Government of Meghalaya DD Lapang as its chairman and Commissioner & Secretary in charge political & DCA department Jopthiaw Lyngdoh as its member secretary.
The other members of the committee include Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy, cabinet ministers in charge of Home, C&RD, Urban Affairs, CEMs of District Councils – KHADC, JHADC and GHADC besides traditional heads, civil societies.
As per the notification issued on April 1, the committee is tasked with the responsibility to examine the role of traditional bodies in civic matters and implementation of government programs and policies.
“It will also suggest the measures on how to institutionalize the role and functions of traditional bodies in governance and delivery of government programs and services at the grass roots level with greater transparency, accountability and inclusiveness,” the notification stated.
Moreover, the term of reference for the committee is to examine if any legislative measures would be required for this purpose and if so to attempt a model bill besides eliciting suggestions from respective stakeholders in documented form specific to the above subject.
The timeframe fixed for the committee to complete compiling its report is within a period of three months.
Sources informed that the first sitting of the committee is likely to be held on the third week of this month.
It may be mentioned that the committee was constituted by the state government at a meeting with all political parties and traditional heads held on March last month.
The decision to constitute the committee came in the wake of the December 10, 2014 ruling of the Meghalaya High Court which questioned the role and function of traditional heads in the state.
In the High Court ruling in December last year, Justice SR Sen observed that a village/locality headman did not derive any right from law, and rule or from the Constitution of India to issue NOC for the purpose of birth/death or for registration of any document as well as for building permission and obtaining loan.
The recent notified committee will be a second of such attempt by the state government to institutionalize the traditional institutions in the state.
Earlier, a similar notification was also issued on February 22, 1989, by the then UMPF Government. The then chief minister PA Sangma through this notification had also constituted a High Powered Committee of MLAs under the chairmanship of late BB Lyngdoh, with OL Nongtdu, late PR Kyndiah, A Sangma as members and JM Phira, IAS, as member secretary, sources informed.
This committee however, was short-lived as the UMPF government collapsed within a short period.- By Our Reporter
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