NPP to form new EC in GHADC: Tynsong

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 1, 2021

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tyngsong has expressed confidence that the National People’s Party (NPP) will form the new executive committee in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) after the election to be held on April 12.

“As per inputs, we are in a very good position and hopefully we are able to cross the magic number (by winning) in at least 15 – 20 seats,” Tynsong told reporters on Thursday.

The NPP and opposition Congress are fielding candidates from all the 29 constituencies spread across the five districts of Garo Hills region.

Refusing to comment anything about the Congress, Tynsong however said the principle of the NPP is to work hard and wish to win in all elections be it MDC, MLA or MP.

“…our target is that we should get a comfortable majority in this coming election to the GHADC… As NPP once we contest elections, we would like to win and not only winning we wanted to secure an absolute majority,” he said.

Asked on the proposed measures to be taken for streamlining the functioning of the cash strapped GHADC, the deputy chief minister said the state government has already constituted a special audit team to probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the GHADC.

“They (audit) are stationed in the GHADC office right now and are still going through everything. Hopefully after the election and after we form the new EC, we will be able to get a report based on which we will accordingly attend to the findings and recommendations,” he said.

Whether the NPP would consider amending the AD rules following stiff opposition by the NGOs against participation of non-tribal in the GHADC elections, Tynsong however said the question of amending the AD rules does not arise as amendment of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India is on the way.

“Let us wait till the Parliament passed the amendment of the Sixth Schedule and once that is passed then we are bound to amend the AD rules because a number of proposed amendment is already indicated in the Sixth Schedule

So once the amendment bill is passed in the parliament ultimately all the three ADCs are bound to amend the AD rules,” he said.

To another query, the deputy chief minister said that the recommendations regarding the amendment of the Sixth Schedule made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs is under examination by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He said the government has requested the MHA to consider the various suggestions from the state including the need to delete the word “unrepresented tribes”.

“From the government side, we keep following it up and we still insist upon the MHA to kindly consider the proposed amendments we made both from the state government as well as the ADCs,” he added.