The Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA-II) cabinet today approved extension of the term of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) by yet another six months.
We expect that the "agreed text for settlement" with the militant outfit A'chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) and its break-away faction, the ANVC-B, would get the Centre's nod before fresh elections are held, the cabinet said.
"We have approved the proposal of the District Council Affairs (DCA) department on the need to grant the extension of the term of GHADC for another six months which will be expired till February next year," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters after the Cabinet meeting here.
"Since there was the parliamentary election and then the reconstitution of a new government at the Centre, the exercise was further delayed and could not be completed," he said.
The state government had earlier granted a six months extension of the term of the GHADC till August 17.
The chief minister also informed that he received a communication from the Union Home Minister whereby the state government was given "indications" that the agreed text settlement has already been approved by Government of India and the exercise to complete the peace process will be initiated very soon.
The ANVC which scaled down their demand for a separate Garoland state for the Garo tribes has demanded enhancement of autonomy to the existing GHADC and that the number of seats in the council be increased from 30 to 40 seats.
"If elections are held now, then even if the accord is signed, they (ANVC) will not be able to participate in the election process of the council," Sangma had said when his cabinet approved the first six months' extension.
The Autonomous Councils in Meghalaya are an off-shoot of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, in which the Governor may extend the term of the district council not exceeding one year.
Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved the Meghalaya Street Vendors and Protection of Livelihood and Regulation Bill 2014, in attempt to safeguard the hawkers' rights, besides defining the role of the government in their approach to the issue. The CM, however, said his government need to proceed with the ordinance since the Assembly is not in session.
