50-member committee holds first sitting on VAB

FROM A REPORTER

SHILLONG, May 20: A 50-member committee constituted to give recommendations for ecting a legislation to institutiolize the traditiol institutions has suggested that the State government and the three district councils should “come together” and sort out the differences to avoid any conflict in governce. This was disclosed by the head of the committee and the Government’s chief adviser, DD Lapang after the first sitting held at Yoj Bhavan in Shillong on Wednesday.

The sitting of the committee comes in the wake of the hullabaloo on the delay to facilitate the assent of the Village Administration Bills passed by the KHADC and the JHADC and the ordince of the State government to achieve a similar purpose.

Disclosing the outcome of the deliberations, Lapang said, “This committee wants the State government and district councils to sit together. If the bill becomes a law which does not have conflict with any government laws, it will resolve the sufferings faced by the general people.”

He also said that the committee felt that the government should dispose off the two pending Village Administration Bills of the KHADC and JHADCC at the earliest possible. The committee also discussed about the ordince which was approved by the Government in a cabinet meeting which is still awaiting the Governor’s assent.

The committee informed that reason for the delay to get the Governor’s assent on the ordince is due to the absence of a full-fledged Governor. “The ordince which continues to be a secret paper till date will be open for discussion after the assent,” he said.

Lapang also added that there is always the scope for an amendment even if a bill gets the consent of the governor.

The committee will also examine the Meghalaya Local Administration (Empowerment of Traditiol Institutions, Traditiol Bodies, Headmen in Governce and Public Delivery System) Ordince, 2015 approved by the State cabinet earlier this month.