‘Will Guv trigger constitutional crisis’

SHILLONG, SEPT 20: Even as the Rangbah Shnongs are bracing for Monday’s sit-in-demonstration organized by the Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong Kha Bri U Hynniewtrep (SKNSKBH) its president Werlock Kharshiing warned that Meghalaya appears to be heading towards constitutional crisis as the bills approved by the state government like the Village Administration Bills (VAB)of the two Khasi and Jaintia hills district councils is stuck with Governor and if this is indicative of the trend then other bills might also meet   the same fate triggering constitutional crisis in the state.

Kharshiing on Sunday said if the Governor  V Shanmuganathan sits on bills sent by the state cabinet for his approval, like he has done to the VAB, it is a surefire recipe for a constitution crisis in the state.

The traditional heads body has got the permission from the East Khasi hills district administration to stage a sit-in-demonstration in the parking lots adjacent to the additional secretariat on Monday.

The demonstration is to pressurize Shanmuganathan to give his assent to VAB that empowers the Rangbah Shnongs after the Meghalaya high court had stripped them of their powers of issuing certificates. Earlier they had organized a peace march circling the Raj Bhavan for the same demand.

Kharshiing said the traditional heads main demands now revolves around assent to VAB – which is pending in the Raj Bhavan as Governor V Shanmuganathan said he has sent it to the Union home ministry for its opinion- and also to restrict the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority to the municipal areas so that it does not encroaches in the schedule areas.

Kharshiing argued that while the Narendra Modi led NDA government at the centre is trying to speed up process by cutting through the red tapism to herald speedy development, Meghalaya governor V Shanmaganathan is behaving like in the Congress era by delaying resolving of issues not only by withholding his assent but by sending it to the union ministry to seek its opinion.

A peeved Kharshiing said, “The Governor is seeking advices and suggestions from everyone but is not listening to the state council of ministers.” He is of the opinion that the Governor must listen to his council of ministers than to anyone else.- By Our Reporter