HSPDP urges Govt to pass official resolution to amend Para 12 A (b) of Sixth Schedule

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 23, 2021

The Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) on Monday decided to write to the MDA government for passing an official resolution to urge the Centre to amend Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution. 

The decision was taken at the Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting of the party held here on Monday.

Addressing media persons, HSPDP secretary and cabinet minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar said,”We will write to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on the need to bring a government resolution to amend Para 12 A (b) of the Sixth Schedule during the upcoming Assembly’s autumn session.” 

According to him, the objective of the proposed amendment would be to empower the state not to implement central laws in the Sixth Schedule areas. 

He said the party also expect the Chief Minister to take up this matter in the cabinet for discussion.

Asked, Tongkhar said that party would submit the letter to the government on August 25.

While para 12A of the Sixth Schedule deals with application of acts of Parliament and of the legislature of the state of Meghalaya to autonomous districts and autonomous regions in Meghalaya, section (b) of the paragraph states that the President may issue a notification by which any act of Parliament will not apply to an autonomous district or an autonomous region in Meghalaya or any part thereof, and any such direction may have retrospective effect. 

Earlier, the Meghalaya legislative assembly had passed and adopted a resolution wanting the Centre to invoke para 12A(b) of the Sixth Schedule in which a Presidential notification be issued so as not to apply the Central laws – Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1957 to scheduled areas in Meghalaya.