Pala urges PM to constitute expert committee

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 4, 2021

Congress Shillong MP Vincent H Pala has requested the Centre to constitute a committee to study the workings of traditional bodies for including them as beneficiaries of devolution of funds made available for rural development and governance.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Pala said, “In order that Meghalaya’s entitlement for devolution of funds from the Centre for rural development and governance is formalised by the Centre without tweaking the customary laws relating to election of functionaries in the village councils as are practised, we request the PMO to constitute a commission to study the finer details of their working and suggest measures to legally, constitutionally and financially strengthen them.” 

He said such a decision in consultation with the Finance Commission would be deemed as a gesture of appreciation by the Centre to preserve the tradition bound local governance systems in Meghalaya that have stood the test of time, and at par with the Panchayati Raj institutions elsewhere in the country. 

According to him, there is uniqueness in the local self government institutions presently functioning in Meghalaya, a state covered by the 6th Schedule of the Constitution. 

Pala said the state, which is exempted from the 73rd Amendment Act, has for long been deprived of the funds that are otherwise devolved to most of the states and union territories covered by this Act, as validated by the Finance Commission’s allocations to local bodies (rural and urban).

He however said notwithstanding, there has been such an allocation sanctioned by the 15th Finance Commission for the state of Meghalaya for the 2021-2026. 

“I would like to ensure that such allocations of grants by the Finance Commission are given in future as an entitlement of the state, rather than an ad hoc release of central funds for the development of villages which are in the lowest tier of the local body governance structure,” he said.

The MP further stated that the local bodies in Meghalaya are governed by tradition bound customary laws, which do not conform to the local body governance norms as defined under the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution. 

He said local headmen implement decisions taken in their respective dorbars, the traditional village institutions, on development works or welfare activities while also taking on the role of a Judge during dispute settlement.

Although they used to received one time financial grants from the Centre through state or Council, they do not get regular wages which affects the performance of their duties. 

However, he also said the local self-governance system operational in Meghalaya has proven to be far more functionally effective even during the COVID-19 lockdown tenure, which almost crippled the rural economies of several other states, where local elected bodies are mandated to be in place. 

Meanwhile, Pala urged the Prime Minister to get the proposal examined by doman experts and  Finance Commission and other constitutional bodies in order that the state of Meghalaya is given it’s rightful dues for strengthening it’s rural governing structures in consonance with it’s traditional customary laws.