Outgoing Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) H.S. Shylla on Friday evening held a final meeting with Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy and discussed with him issues related to autonomy.
Shylla also discussed with Governor Roy about the procedural errors where Bills passed by the District Councils have to be submitted to him through the District Council Affairs (DCA) department of the State government to get the Governor’s assent.
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After the meeting at Raj Bhavan, Shylla told reporters that according to Sixth Schedule under Paragraph 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10, as well as AD Rules, the District Councils should send their Bills directly to the Governor not by going through the DCA department of the state.
Shylla was accompanied by Secretary of the Legislative and Secretary of the Executive of the KHADC.
Shylla said that he has requested the Governor to also take back all the Bills that he had returned to the KHADC.
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“The Governor has understood this error bad told us that he too he has to seek suggestions from the Council of Ministers on the Bills, but that should be an internal arrangement between him and the state government. But one thing is clear that the District Councils need not go through the DCA department for submitting their Bills to the Governor to get his assent,” Shylla said.
According to Shylla, the Governor has also accepted that the Bills should come from the District Councils to the Governor’s office because District Councils have their own power and autonomy.
“The District Councils are Constitutional and autonomous bodies and the State government cannot treat only as a department within it. Any law passed by a District Council, State Assembly or Parliament should not be examined, but they should go to President or Governor for getting the assent.
However, if there are aggrieved parties that object certain clauses of the law, it is the court that should examine and pass its judgment and not the state government that should examine and decide as in the case of the District Councils in Meghalaya,” Shylla observed.
He said that the state government has committed a big mistake because it is not at correct that the District Councils should go through the DCA department before sending their Bills to the Governor.
Shylla also urged the newly elected members of the District Councils to understand the power and autonomy of the District Councils and they should protect this autonomy of the District Councils.