Meghalaya guv urged to disqualify former parl secys

Meghalaya governor Ganga Prasad was today urged to disqualify the 17 MLAs who were parliamentary secretaries before the high court quashed the Act that appointed them.
Madal Sumer, on whose petition the high court had quashed the Act last week, requested the governor to disqualify even the two MLAs who were now ministers but had been parliamentary secretaries earlier.
In a representation, Sumre appealed to the governor to exercise the power vested on him by Article 192 of the Constitution and "set things right by taking a decision on the issue of disqualification of the 17 MLAs".
Article 192 deals with disqualification of a member of a state legislature.

Quashing the Meghalaya Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2005, the high court had allowed the governor to take a decision on the disqualification of parliamentary secretaries as members of the Assembly.
"The decision of the governor in this regard, on the basis of the opinion of the Election Commission, is final," the judgement of November 9 read.
Although all of them had resigned en mass the same day as parliamentary secretaries, Sumer said the order does not allow them to continue as MLAs.
Of the 17 MLAs, Comingone Ymbon and Celestine Lyngdoh were inducted in the cabinet by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma earlier this year.