SHILLONG, JAN 11: Seeking the intervention of the union government through the minister of home affairs on the extension of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council-GHADC- term by another six months into this particular issue by the state Congress led coalition government of Mukul Sangma, the opposition Democratic Party (UDP) termed the extension as ‘cheap political’ intent to allow its own Congress ruled GHADC executive committee to continue for another six months.
UDP working president and former deputy chief minister Bindo M Lanong said that such decision to unnecessarily extend the term of the GHADC is highly illegal. He said, “This is also a cheap political move of the state government.”
The state cabinet had recently extende the term of the GHADC to another six months saying this will facilitate the holding of elections in the delimited seats.
The decision of the state government was taken on the basis that the proposed amendment bill of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution will get the approval of the centre in the upcoming budget session in Parliament. The proposed amendment is for increasing the number of seats in GHADC.
Lanong said that led executive committee in the GHADC is allowed to continue for another sixy months by fraud. He informed that the UDP is going to held a meeting on Monday to discuss on this issue. According to him, the House cannot be extended in this way except if there is any extra ordinary cause.
Lanaong reminded that the state witnessed one year extension of the term of the government and the district council during the tenure of the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi in 1977. “Both the state government and district council’s term were extended due to emergency that year, and the elections were only held in 1978,” he said.
Reiterating that the GHADC term cannot be extended for a small reason such as this, Lanong said, “Even if the government is saying that it wants to wait for the Centre’s nod on the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule, it should go ahead in holding the elections for the existing 30 seats in the GHADC,” adding “And if the proposed amendment gets the approval, then it should hold elections in only the new seats.”
Meanwhile, the proposed meeting of the UDP on Monday is to discuss the proposal of All Party Meeting to be convened by the Chief Minister on January 16.
The All Party Meeting was called by the state government in order to arrive at a consensus on the proposals to be made to the centre on the proposed amendment of the Sixth Scheduled of the Indian Constitution during the upcoming budget session of the union parliament.
“We will be discussing on these points and suggestions to be placed before the upcoming meeting,” Lanong informed.- By Our Reporter
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