A four member delegation from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council headed by KHADC Chairman Lamphrang Blah on Tuesday visited New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah as part of the representatives of 10 Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and territorial councils (TCs) across the North East.
KHADC’s Chief Executive Member, Pyniaid Sing Syiem informed that the four members include KHADC Chairman Lamphrang Blah, Titosstarwell Chyne who is the Leader of Opposition, Fantin Joseph Lakadong, Executive Member, and Balajied Rani member. The KHADC members along with other ADCs will try to impress upon Shah to table the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Amendment) Bill, 2019, which proposes to amend the Sixth Schedule.
Talking to Mediapersons, Syiem, who is nominated as the convener of the conglomeration of the ACs and TCs of the region, said if the Centre cannot table 6th schedule amendment in this ongoing session atleast there should be some assurance.
“…..there’s no harm to meet union home minister because after meeting him, it will be very clear. what is to go forward. So even though, if they can’t table the 6th schedule amendment in this ongoing session, but at least, there should be some assurance. Any commitment from the government of India that in the coming session, they might table. So that will be good enough for us and we’ll wait for them,” the convener said.
Stating that with one voice, the 10 ADCs of North East stands united, Syiem said, “The main purpose that we discuss and deliberate was regarding the 125th Constitutional amendment, we know that parliament session is going on since Monday since yesterday in Delhi, and we feel that this is the right time for us to knock the door of the central government. In one mind and one voice of all the ADCs, we have approached the Ministry of Home Affairs and fortunately the Union home minister Amit Shah has invited us today in fact, this evening. And in that meeting, we had accepted, and we had decided that we’ll meet the home minister today from the group forum.”
He further said, “The intention of this meeting is to pressure and to apprise the government, the government of India, the needs of the hour is that they should bring or table, the 125 Constitutional Amendment in which six schedules are included.”
“….. in 73 years, no Amendment as such in the especially for the Meghalaya District Council So it will be very useful and helpful and there are some points that we mentioned there. We’ve given a proposal from a side especially from the KHADC that okay the name has already been proposed to change to a territorial Council that will have no effect,” the KHADC chief said, adding that there is a proposal to increase the number of seats in the council beside other issues.