Meghalaya extends Garo Hills district body term by six months

Shillong: Meghalaya today approved the extension of term of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council by another six months to allow a peace settlement with Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), a militant outfit under ceasefire since 2004. The settlement is scheduled to take place ahead of the elections to the council and the state cabinet’s decision would allow the leaders of the outfit to participate in the democratic processes.[caption id=“attachment_1185965” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] The term of GHADC ends on 17 February, while the other two councils – the Council for the Khasis and Jaintias, which ends on 16 February, has been approved for extension by another 15 days. “The proposal for the extension of the terms of the three ADCs have been approved by the cabinet,” Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters after the cabinet meeting in Shillong. “We have examined, deliberated upon and after discussion, we find it reasonable enough to consider extension of GHADC’s term for six months at one time to enable the whole process of this text settlement agreement with the ANVC and subsequently to bring in the expected desire for lasting peace in Garo Hills,” he said. The ANVC and its break-away faction the ANVC-B, had approved of the text of the agreement last year, nine years after the parent militant outfit entered into a tripartite ceasefire agreement with state government and the Centre in 2004, demanding for a comprehensive autonomous council in the Garo Hills similar to the Bodo Territorial Council. The ANVC had also climbed down from their earlier demands and agreed upon by the Government of India for the expansion of the powers of the GHADC and increasing the membership in the council from 29 to 40. The leaders of the groups had met the chief minister earlier in this regard demanding the extension of GHADC’s term. Among other issues agreed upon in the text settlement was enabling the outfit to dispel their group and ultimately participate in the democratic process so that they can take past in the proposed elections to the GHADC after the accord, Sangma said. He said their (ANVC) contention has also been conveyed through various delegations that if elections were held now and even if the accord was signed, they will not be able to participate in the election process. The final agreement is pending for the approval of the Union cabinet, Sangma said. Once the agreement takes place in the GHADC which involves the demands of the militant outfit, the expansion of powers will also be extended to the other district councils – the KHADC and JHADC. “This will invariably require amendment of the relevant portion of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and since this same provision will be extended to other district councils, invariably the amendment specific to Meghalaya district councils will have to be moved in the Parliament by the Centre,” Sangma stated. PTI