FROM OUR STAFF CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG, May 20: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today indicated that his government is in no mood to relent to pressure to endorse the modified Village Administration Bill (VAB) passed by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC).
The KHM has even launched an indefinite sit-in demonstration in support of its working president and former Chief Executive Member (CEM) Adilberth Nongrum’s indefinite hunger strike to put pressure on the State government to endorse the KHADC legislated VAB, 2014. The KHM has also received moral support from other regiol parties and pressure groups on the legislation that envisaged the constitutiol empowerment of the traditiol headmen or village chiefs.
In his reaction to the insistence made by the agitating groups, Sangma told newsmen in Shillong on Wednesday that his government has already shared with them the lacu of the clauses and sections of the VAB. “There are many things that have come into conflict with the fundamental rights of the people and are in conflict with the laws ected by the Parliament and the State assembly,” stated the Chief Minister.
“The KHADC legislation is not in sync with the Constitution of India,” reiterated Mukul Sangma, even as he requested the agitating parties to “behave responsibly” in dealing with such a complex constitutiol subject. It may be reminded that the State government had recently passed an ordince empowering the traditiol institutions.
“There might be some malafide intention to create a law and order problem in the State by playing with the emotions of the people,” Sangma said on the agitations launched by the pressure groups. He also hinted that the State government will not appeal the KHM, its working president Adilberth Nongrum and the other supporting groups to call off the indefinite demonstration.