Traditiol heads want withdrawal of ordince

A Correspondent

Shillong, June 10: The body of traditiol heads in Khasi-Jaiñtia hills-Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong wants withdrawal of the ordince even as it urged the elected representatives to pressurize the government on the issue.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting today, SKRS president Werlok Kharshiing said, “We want the Government to withdraw the ordince and also urged upon the MLAs of Khasi and Jaintia Hills to put pressure on the government to withdraw the same which is ucceptable to us from the very beginning.”

Dr Kharshiing said that they have studied the various provisions incorporated in the ordince in detail and found that it is not relevant to the prevailing customs and practices.

“We also do not agree to the regulation which the government is trying to impose to the functioning of the Rangbah Shnong through this ordince. It is because of these reasons that we are opposing the ordince,” the SKRS president added.

When asked if the government intends to dissolve the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) by coming up with this ordince, he said that the main intention on the part of the State government to come up with this ordince is to provide an interim relief to the people to allow the Rangbah Shnong to issue the certificates till the Village Administration Bill (VAB) becomes an Act.

The SKRS will also meet the headmen of Khasi and Jaiñtia hills to explain the Ordince and VAB. This meeting will be held after the Governor makes his fil decision on the VAB.

The SKRS met today after the deadline given by it to the government ended today. It may be noted during the rally on May 30, the headmen’s body had asked the State Government to pass the VAB within June 10.

Dr Kharshiing said that the SKRS was thankful that the government fulfilled one of its commitments by sending the two bills passed by the KHADC and JHADC to the Governor for his assent.

The SKRS president said that while the two bills are lying at the Governor’s Secretariat, the headmen’s body will wait for some more days for the Governor to take a call.

Meanwhile, Dr Kharshiing also clarified that the SKRS was apolitical. According to him, the SKRS does not support any group nor have any kind of affiliation with any political party.

He also said that the headmen’s body was in no way involved in misleading the people who had come to attend the rally on May 30.

It may be mentioned the opposition ARPA in the KHADC had questioned the timing of the announcement during the public rally that the VAB has been passed, when actually the house was debating on the Bill during the Special Session.

“This was informed to the public at 2:15 pm while the bill was passed by the PDF at 3:20 pm,” ARPA chairman was quoted as saying.

Dr Kharshiing clarified that on the day of the public rally called by the SKRS, they received a message that the KHADC has passed the VAB. 

“Since we did not get a chance to discuss, we announced that the bill has been passed,” he said.

The SKRS president also recalled that during the May 19 meeting, which was attended by the KHADC MDCs of both the ruling and opposition (PDF and ARPA), all the 30 MDCs had the same stand i.e. to demand immediate passing of the VAB. “In view of the commitment made in this meeting, we had thought all the 30 MDCs have unimously passed the VAB during the special session. But later we came to know that ARPA opposed the Bill,” Dr Kharshiing said.

He also said that the headmen’s body wants the VAB to be passed and that at the moment it cannot be said whether the bill passed by the KHADC is a toothless legislation. “We will be able to alyze better only when the rules and regulation is formulated,” he added.

Dr Kharshiing also said that the SKRS will continue to closely follow up if there is a need to further improve the bill.

Further the SKRS have also decided to urge upon the Rangbah Shnongs of whole Khasi and Jaintia Hills region not to issue any certificates till the Governor takes the decision on the two bills.