JHADC sets stage for community-led development with Village and Town Development Council Bill

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 21, 2023

The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) unanimously passed “The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Village and Town Development Council) Bill, 2023” during a special session on Tuesday.

The bill aims to establish Village Development Councils or Town Development Councils to plan and implement developmental activities within the villages and towns of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District.

JHADC Chief Executive Member, Thombor Shiwat, introduced the bill, stating that its purpose is to provide a framework for the constitution of Village Development Councils or Town Development Councils for planning and executing developmental activities in the villages and towns of the Jaintia Hills.

He said, the bill was drafted in response to the direction of the state government, which identified the absence of rules and regulations for district councils in case the central government implements village councils through proposed amendments to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The executive committee of JHADC frames the bill in order to empower village councils, and other autonomous councils in the state are preparing similar bills to empower their respective village councils.

Further, he said that the central government wants to channelize funds direct to village councils in the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). As a result, the executive committee of JHADC decided to create the Village and Town Development Council, which will facilitate funding for the village councils and enable the implementation of developmental activities in the villages and towns under the Jaintia Hills Autonomous Council.

After thorough discussions, the session was adjourned for the second sitting, and subsequently, the bill was passed. This legislation will empower the dorbar shnong, a traditional institution of village and town administration for the indigenous tribes of Jaintia Hills. The dorbar shnong plays a significant role in carrying out development work, with a focus on community participation in decision-making, transparency, and accountability.