Meghalaya: Congress pushes for greater autonomy in district councils

Shillong: To strengthen the autonomous district councils in Meghalaya, the Congress has proposed incorporating provisions from Article 371 into the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

This demand by Congress aims to grant more legislative powers to the district councils, allowing them to make decisions on matters such as land transfer, mineral resources, and environmental protection.

According to Pynshngain N Syiem, the Congress candidate for the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) election, the proposed amendment seeks to revive Paragraph 12A of the Sixth Schedule, which was repealed in 1972.

This paragraph ensured that Acts of Parliament and the State Legislature did not override the laws of the district council.

Syiem emphasized the need to exempt the applicability of Central and state Acts in Sixth Schedule areas, particularly in districts with non-indigenous representatives in the state Assembly. He also stressed the importance of protecting the rights of indigenous tribes over mineral resources, citing a 2019 Supreme Court judgment.

The Congress has also expressed its opposition to proposed uranium mining in the state. Syiem called for strengthening the Meghalaya Protection of Catchment Areas Act of 1990 and amending the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Management and Control of Forests) Act, 1958, to empower the council to protect water bodies and catchment areas.