SHILLONG, June 9 � Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan here today said he will take a close look at the original as well as the amended versions of the KHADC (Village Administration) Bill, 2014.
The Governor gave the assurance to a delegation of the All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) in the Khasi Hill Autonomous District Council (KHADC) who sought the Governor�s intervention for passage of the original Bill.
�The Governor said that he would examine and study both the original Bill as well as the amended version of the Bill and take a decision objectively,� Metbah Lyngdoh, ARPA leader, said after the meeting.
The Bill was passed in the district council with 23 amendments, including a section that earlier sought for 14 years of stay in a village or locality for a �non-Khasi Indian� before the person could be considered for a residential certificate from the traditional institutions.
The Bill was passed as it was largely pushed by the Congress-led People�s Democratic Forum (PDF). Earlier, the State government had returned the Bill to the Council and sought amendments as some of the sections were conflicting with Central laws.
Lyngdoh said they want just two sections of the original Bill to be included and stated that the ARPA has no �hatred for outsiders� in seeking the inclusion of these sections. �We want to safeguard the rights of the indigenous community,� he clarified.
