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Guv, Court to decide dual post issue: Dy CM

By Raju Das

SHILLONG, March 9 - Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh today said the decision on members holding dual post would be taken by the Governor and also by the High Court.

Replying to a Call Attention Motion in the Assembly, Lyngdoh, who holds the Law portfolio, said that there is a PIL pending before Meghalaya High Court regarding the issue of legislators holding dual post.

Meghalaya Assembly passed the Prevention of Disqualification (Members of Assembly) (Amendment) Bill, 2015, last year, which, now bars MLAs to hold the additional post of a Member of the District Council.

Seven MLAs, barring the Chief Executive Member of the Khasi Hills District Council, PN Syiem, have resigned from their post as MDCs, after the Bill was passed. Governor V Shanmuganathan gave his assent to the Bill in October last year.

Lyngdoh said a PIL is pending before the High Court on the same issue of MLAs holding dual posts and since the Court has not given its verdict on the matter any discussion on the merits or demerits of the Bill would be sub-judice.

On the other hand, the Governor has also sought information from the Election Commission about the issue of dual post last year. Moreover, the State Government has written back to the EC about the Bill and the opinion of the EC is being awaited, the deputy CM said.

Earlier, moving the Call Attention Motion, Witting Mawsor of the Hill State People�s Democratic Party, termed the Prevention of Disqualification (Members of Meghalaya Assembly) (Amendment) Bill, 2015, as a �suicide bill, introduced unconstitutionally.�

The legislator from Mawshynrut, West Khasi Hills said the Bill was passed by the Government because of its �ego� and with intent to �destroy the image of the MDCs.�

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