Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 642/15

POLITICAL PARTIES MEET ON ORDINANCE FOR EMPOWERMENT OF TRADITIONAL BODIES

Shillong, September 9, 2015: The meeting of all political parties was convened here under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma on Wednesday to discuss the Ordinance for empowerment of traditional institutions, traditional bodies and headmen in governance and public delivery system which was promulgated recently. The meeting was also attended by other Cabinet ministers and senior officials, besides the representatives of political parties.

After appropriate and constructive suggestions were shared by members from the three political parties, the INC, HSPDP and NCP, and since a number of major political parties were absent from the meeting, it was decided that the minutes of the discussions would be circulated to all concerned and meet again one more time to have a broader consultative measure on the issue.

It may be mentioned that till date there is no legal mandate for involvement of the traditional institutions, the Nokmas and the Rangbah Shnongs in developmental programmes and schemes of the government, therefore it was felt necessary to consider a law to be enacted in this regard and the Ordinance was promulgated on 29th May this year. However, the KHADC, the Nokmas Council and other NGOs had expressed reservation about the Ordinance and their views have been considered, but it was found that if the Bill is not passed there would be a vacuum and there will be no law for involvement of the headmen and traditional institutions in the process of developmental programmes of the Government.

Welcoming the members present at the meeting, the Chief Minister expressed the intention of the Government in coming up with the Ordinance and said that the meeting was called to have a platform to share all concerns pertaining to the same as political parties represent the people of the State.

The Chief Minister also informed that after the promulgation of this Ordinance a lot of views have been expressed and taken into consideration. “There has been a felt need by the Government to involve all the political parties to have a broader consensus as to whether the ordinance should be regularized and if not, whether to look at the issue of coming up with a new legislative measure to empower the traditional bodies and the headmen in matters of governance and in the process of delivery system of various developmental programmes in the interest of the people”.

It may be recalled that the Cabinet in its last meeting had also discussed the issue as to whether the government should come up with a legislative measure to regularize the ordinance. As per the Cabinet discussion, the ordinance which was promulgated be allowed to lapse and look at consultative mechanism by involving all the political parties to look at alternative legislative measure with the objective of truly empowering and involving the traditional institutions.