SHILLONG, Aug 28 � Firm on its stand to hold the first ever municipal elections in the State, the Meghalaya Government today said the Gauhati High Court has given it the liberty to conduct the elections.
�The writ petition filed by the Jaintia Tribal Traders Association before the Gauhati High Court challenging the proposed conduct of elections to the Jowai Municipal Board was dismissed on August 25,� a government statement said, a day after the Garo Students Union (GSU) filed a similar petition.
�With the dismissal of the petition, the government is now at liberty to conduct the elections to the Jowai Municipal Board,� it said.
The government has invited the village headmen of Shillong for a meeting on August 30 to discuss the elections to the Shillong Municipal Board.
Yesterday, the Gauhati High Court had admitted a similar petition by the GSU which challenged the municipal polls contending, �following the 1992 amendment in the Constitution, panchayat and municipal provisions do not extend to the tribal areas which are under Sixth Schedule.�
Admitting the petition, a bench of the court comprising Justice I A Ansari and A Hazarika issued a notice to the government and fixed September 6 as the date of hearing.
The court, however, refused to stay the elections as sought by the lawyer H Thangkiew on behalf of the petitioner, saying �there was still enough time.�
Earlier, the government has announced that elections to the offices of ward commissioners of four municipal boards in the three districts of Garo Hills will be held on September 29.
Also, the Meghalaya Government has decided to solicit public opinion on a bill that envisages reforms on the Municipal Act, paving the way for holding of first ever civic polls in the State since it attainment of Statehood. The move has been initiated in a bid to avail the benefit of the ambitious Jawarhalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
Since the Supreme Court Notification in 2000, there have been at least two attempts to hold the civic body election in the State but on both the government could not go ahead due to opposition from certain quarters on the ground that such an attempt will dilute the credibility of the traditional institutions in the State.
There had been no Municipality election in the State since it attained Statehood and nominated administrator of the State Government governs the Municipality Boards.
After the Supreme Court had directed the State Government to hold the municipal elections following a petition filed by the Non Tribal Youth Union, the government in November 2000 issued notifications for holding elections. Only one person, a Shillong-based businessman, Ananta Dey, filed nominations. However, he was shot dead by suspected militants. � PTI
