GCCM demands KHADC to amend Mylliem Act

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 19, 2019

SHILLONG: The Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya (GCCM) has demanded the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to constitute a Committee of MDCs to review the Mylliem Act, 2007-2008 to empower the citizens. 

Chairman of the GCCM John F Kharshiing on Friday met 15 MDCs of the KHADC to seek their intervention into the matter. 

Kharshiing also submitted a memorandum to the executive member in charge Trade Paul Lyngdoh urging him to discuss regarding the need to constitute a Committee comprising of 15 MDCs to address the numerous lacunae in the existing KHADC Mylliem Acts 2007, 2008, Rules 2015 and the 1959 Act so as to make it dynamic and relevant and to especially empower the citizens (u khun u hajar).  

Kharshiing stated an example wherein while the  Mylliem Act 2007 required the Syiem and Dorbar to convene the Dorbar Hima at least once a year but that has not happened till date. 

On the other hand there was no clarity in the provisions and procedures which enables citizens or the KHADC to convene the Dorbar Hima in presence of u khun u hajar which is the Apex decision making body of the Hima Mylliem, he said. 

“Earlier the former CEM, HS Shylla did try to convene the Dorbar Hima, however it was a hurriedly called Dorbar Hima wherein we were not allowed to participate in the deliberations, what was more important was that till date since last two decades no annual Dorbar Hima was convened and no accounts and reports read or circulated to the citizens. The excuse was that there was a new Acting Syiem. The convening of the Dorbar Hima along with u khun u hajar is imperative for the functioning of governance at the grassroots level,” he said. 

Kharshiing further alleged that there are also cases where some of the Dorbar Shnong, Dorbar Raid including the ruling  clans (Myntri, Basan, Lyngdoh) do not convene their respective annual Dorbar to submit reports before their citizens while provisions state that the annual Dorbar Shnong must be convened once a year and all audited statements submitted before the Dorbar. 

“The absence of the Dorbar Hima the traditional right of the citizens to air their grievances has denied our many land and forest Owners under Hima Mylliem to air their grievances an example of the conflict can be seen where Forest Conservation Act 1980 and subsequent HPC guidelines mandate that saw Mills to operate only in the Industrial Estate and where presently because of the impracticality of the Act and Guidelines the Meghalaya Assembly had passed a resolution to exempt the Forest Act under para 12A(b) and till date nothing has happened as the resolution was not sent to the center affecting the hundreds of land and forest Owners under Hima Mylliem even under a regulated Trade benefiting only a few in one Industrial Estate under the entire East Khasi Hills District as government has no resources to set up industrial estates in Meghalaya,” he said. 

According to him, to resolve the issues of governance, KHADC MDCs and the State MLAs must have the political will to finalize the structure of governance to empower the people  which would require positive amendments to the Mylliem Acts 2007 and Rules 2015 to ensure that all anomalies are removed and provisions are complied with as per law.