Extension of GHADC opposed in Meghalaya

The Meghalaya People's Forum, a platform of opposition parties, today said they would urge the Governor not to allow the state government's decision of extending the tenure of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council by another six months.
"The MPF will soon take up the matter with Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to ensure that the executive order of the state government to extend the term of the council which is against the Constitution of the country," United Democratic Party Working President Paul Lyngdoh said.
The United Democratic Party is the leading party in the non-Congress opposition MPF which includes the NPP and Independent legislators.

"We are against such an executive decision to extend the term of the GHADC as there is no provision in the Constitution to extend it beyond a certain time limit," he said.
The Mukul Sangma cabinet had on Tuesday last extended the term of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) by another six months anticipating that the proposed amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution will soon get the Centre's nod.
The term of the GHADC is due to expire on February 17 next and the extended term will be effective from February 18.

The executive extension of the council is done to ensure that the ANVC and ANVC-B leaders, who had signed a peace pact with the state and the Centre, would be able to participate in the elections, besides addition of 11 more seats in the 29-member Autonomous Council for the Garos.

The peace pact signed last year has provision to increase the number of seats in the two other Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) - KHADC and JHADC, elections of which were already held a year ago.
The state government had disarmed both the Garo rebel outfits - Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) and its faction group, the ANVC-B in December last year.
The disbandment process of the outfits came three months after signing of the Agreed Text Settlement in New Delhi.