Shillong, Mar 20: A two-day special session of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) will be held on March 23 and 24.
The GHADC has been at the centre of controversy, with recent communal violence erupting over the (now postponed) elections to the body.
The council, under former Chief Executive Member Albinush Marak, hastily tried to bar non-tribal candidates from running in the council polls by insisting on Scheduled Tribe certificates when filing nominations. However, this requirement was struck down by the High Court for failing to adhere to prescribed rules. When two non-tribal candidates then tried to file their nominations last Monday, violence erupted.
Albinush resigned before he could lose a no-confidence vote on March 16. He was replaced by Dhormonath Sangma.
The session next week will likely try to rework the ST certificate order to ensure that it passes legal scrutiny.
The term of the GHADC has also been extended by the state government by six months. The elections were meant to be held on April 10 but the current GHADC term will now only end on October 18.
