The State BJP has asked the government to come clean on its decision to extend the current terms of the Khasi Hills and Jaiñtia Hills Autonomous District Councils.
According to BJP Spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang the state government can extend the term with only valid reasons and an emergency. “Government has to spell out valid reasons on why the term was extended,” he said.
Kharkrang questioned if the government would again extend the term of the two district councils, if the delimitation exercise is not completed within six months.
He stated that the public wants to know the emergency situation that warrants an extension as it cannot be done on flimsy grounds.
Asked if the move was a political ploy, Kharkrang said, “For anything there has to be a political reason and there is a political reason even for the delimitation exercise.”
The state cabinet had approved the extension of the current terms of the KHADC and JHADC for another six months due to the delimitation exercise.
The terms of these two councils were set to expire on March 4. The councils had both appealed for extensions as part of the process of redrawing the constituency boundaries.
The Meghalaya Governor last year had granted both councils permission to constitute delimitation committees and their work is ongoing.
