Meghalaya: Autonomous District Councils demand ‘village development council’ in proposed 6th Schedule amendment

The three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) wanted the removal of the word ‘unrepresented tribes’ and proposed the formation of a ‘Village Development Council’ instead of ‘Village Council’ in the proposed amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

"We are totally against the implementation of the unrepresented tribe and the state government is also in the same line with us. Regarding the village council issue, we had maintained that instead of this, we propose village development council," said CEM of KHADC Titos Chyne after a joint meeting held on Monday. 

KHADC CEM, Titosstarwell Chyne informed that the Centre has again written to the State Government on the need for the ADCs in the State to deliberate in detail on the two issues of unrepresented tribes and the implementation of the village council.

Also Read: Meghalaya: Three District Councils oppose Uniform Civil Code in Sixth Schedule areas

According to CEM of KHADC, all the 3 ADCs- KHADC, JHADC and the GHADC have unanimously decided to urge upon the Centre to remove the term ‘unrepresented tribes’ from the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Amendment) Bill, 2019. He said that they have briefed the two CEMs that the KHADC had passed Village Development Council Bill so the implementation of the village council should not be implemented in the State since this may dilute the traditional institutions.

The CEM informed that the Centre will table the proposed amendment bill which seeks to amend provisions in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution within this year.