Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan promises 'objective decision' about KHADC bill

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan today assured of an 'objective decision' before agreeing on the Khasi Hills Autonomous District ( Village Administration) Bill, 2014.

The assurance was made to a delegation of the opposition All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council who had sought his intervention for deleted sub sections 8 and 16 of Section 5 in the bill.

The sections provide authority to the traditional institutions to decide on the entry of a non-indigenous person and the time it requires for such persons to obtain a permanent residential certificate.

"After a patient hearing, he (Governor) said that he would examine and study the original bill and assured to make a decision which would be objective not subjective," ARPA leader Metbah Lyngdoh told newsmen after meeting the Governor.

The opposition alliance decided to approach the Governor after the Congress led People's Democratic Forum (PDF) recently passed the rectified Bill with several rectifications.

"We have also made it clear that the demand for re-inclusion of the two sections is in no way in the spirit of hatred for 'outsiders' but it is in the spirit to protect and safeguard the indigenous community and its people," he said.

The bill passed by the Congress-led executive committee at the KHADC has been a bone of contention for the regional parties since the time they were ousted from power in the council last month.