Committee against constitutional exceptions: Panel objects to rule waiver for Meghalaya

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma pulled up the Union home ministry for giving special exemption to Meghalaya under the 125th Constitution amendment bill, introduced in February 2019.

The bill, which seeks to amend Article 280 and Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, aims to increase the financial and executive powers of the 10 autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the Northeast that deal with the administration of the tribal areas in the four states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram as per Article 244.

The Governor is empowered to increase or decrease the areas or change the names of the autonomous districts. In a report, the panel said, “Providing any exception to the said provisions as has been done in the case of Meghalaya goes against the ethos of democracy particularly at the grass root level.


Till now, the autonomous councils depended on grants from central ministries and the state government for specific projects. The Union home ministry has proposed transfer of additional 30 subjects, including departments of public works, forests, urban development and food and civil supply, to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council and Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council in Assam .