The Centre has decided to set up a three-member committee headed by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai to examine the points raised by various Autonomous District Councils of the North East regarding the 125th Amendment Bill related to the proposed changes in the Sixth Schedule.
This was assured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to a delegation of Chief Executive Members (CEMs) of ten Autonomous District Councils of the North East who met him at his official residence in Delhi today and submitted a joint memorandum containing their various demands and suggestions.
“The meeting was successful as the Home Minister listened patiently to our points and suggestions as mentioned in the joint memorandum,” Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council CEM Pyniaid Sing Syiem said.
Syiem also said that Shah has assured that the three-member committee headed by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai would study all the points and suggestions mentioned in the joint memorandum and come up with a report by August 25.
It may be mentioned that on July 20, CEMs of the ten Autonomous District Councils from the North East met in New Delhi to discuss on the 125th Amendment Bill and unanimously decided to meet the Union Home Minister to press for inclusion of their various points in the amendment bill including direct funding from the Centre.
The ten Autonomous Councils comprise the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, Bodo Territorial Council, Tripura Territorial Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, three ADCs of Mizoram namely Lai Autonomous District Council, Chakma Autonomous District Council and Mara Autonomous District Council.
Under the 125th Amendment Bill, funding for district councils would be through Article 280 but the KHADC wants removal of the words “Village Council” from the bill, so that it does not affect the system of local governance in the State. It also suggested that in place of the words “Village Council”, the words “Village Dorbar” should be inserted.
The KHADC also wants that the words ‘Municipal Council’ should not be included but the words ‘Town Committee or Town Dorbar’ should be inserted in the amendment.
It also wants that the Rangbah Shnongs (traditional heads) should be elected by the Himas or Elakas as per the rules of the district council and not by election to be conducted by the State Election Commission.
On the issue of ‘unrepresented tribes’, the KHADC wants that there should not be any such mention in the amendment bill but it should only specify that a certain number should be nominated members of the district councils.
As far as increasing the number of seats in district councils, there are suggestions that in KHADC there should be 35 elected members and two or four nominated members. At present 29 are elected members and one is nominated.
There are expectations that the report of the committee headed by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs which would be submitted to the Home Ministry would culminate in the tabling of the final draft of the 125th Amendment Bill. The bill may be tabled in the winter session of parliament which usually meets from November to mid-December.
