Shillong, July 10: After the resignation of Pynshngain N Syiem as the chief of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), National People’s Party (NPP) Member of District Council (MDC) from Nongkrem, HS Shylla will take over as its Chief Executive Member (CEM).
The decision to hand over the reign of CEM to Shylla was taken in a meeting of the Khasi Hills Democratic Alliance (KHDA), a conglomeration of 17 MDCs belonging to the from NPP (4), UDP (5), HSPDP (3) and PDF (4) and 1 Independent.
In the meet it was also decided that HSPDP, member from Sohiong, Samlin Malgniang will be the chairman of the alliance and Laitumkhrah-Malki MDC, Neil Antonio War will be its secretary.Shylla will file the nomination for the post of CEM on Wednesday.
The candidates for the post of CEM should file the nomination before 11 am. After the filing of the nomination there will be scrunity of the nominations. The election will be at 2 pm, if there is more than one nomination.
Speaking to media persons, Shylla said, “I have been elected as the MDC for the first time in 1984. I again contested as an MDC in 2004. I am the senior most MDC in the House. The MDCs who are in the House are those have been elected after 2004. There are two former CEM. We have two Deputy CEM. The election was unanimous.”
He also said that there are many issues which the upcoming EC will take up in next five to six months left for the present House.The CEM in waiting said that administration of Justice will be one of his top agenda.
“There are many pending cases which needs to be disposed. At present, the District Council Court has three judges. There is one judge and two additional judges. The general public are suffering due to the pending litigations in the district council court. To expedite the clearing of the pending cases, it is important to strengthen the subordinate court of the Council,” Shylla said.
He also informed that there is a need to expedite the exercise to prepare the utilisation certificates of schemes which needs to be submitted to the Central Government. Another issue foremost in the priority of the next EC would be the issue of Them Iew Mawlong , Shylla informed.He also said that the passage of the Village Administration Bill (VAB) will be a priority.
He however said that that there was a need to ensure there was no over-lapping of the legislation of Rules concerning the Rangbah Shnong in 2015, the Villlage Administration Bill and the codification Act which is to codify customary law.
“We need to ensure that there is no over lapping in the implementation of the three legislations. The sprit of 12 AA will have to be there between the Hima and the District Council,” he said.
On the issue of MUDA encroaching into the Sixth Scheduled Areas, Shylla said that the KHADC was happy that the new Government had made it clear that that the MUDA building bye laws cannot be implemented in areas falling under the Scheduled Areas.
“Despite this ruling on the part of the State Government, the previous EC has not formulated the building bye laws of the council. I have asked the officers of the Council about the steps taken on the building laws. But I was told that no initiative has been taken on this front. There is no follow up action,” Shylla alleged.
