Separate electoral roll for GHADC moves a step closer

Tura, July 2: A long-standing demand for a separate electoral roll for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) has moved a significant step forward, with the committee constituted to examine the issue submitting its report to Chief Executive Member (CEM) Dhormonath Ch. Sangma on Thursday.

The report will now be placed before the GHADC Executive Committee for scrutiny before being tabled in the Council’s next session, expected later this month. If approved, it could pave the way for one of the most significant institutional reforms sought for the Autonomous District Councils in Meghalaya.

Speaking exclusively to Hub News, CEM Dhormonath Ch. Sangma expressed confidence that the proposal would receive the House’s approval.

“I am happy that the committee has submitted the report. Now the necessary processing can be taken up. I have full faith in the House that this will be passed in the next session,” he said.

Describing it as a long-pending aspiration of the people, the CEM said the committee had made sincere efforts to move the issue forward.

At present, elections to the Autonomous District Councils are conducted using the electoral rolls prepared for Assembly elections. Proponents of a separate electoral roll argue that a dedicated voters’ list for District Council elections would better protect the constitutional objectives of the Sixth Schedule by ensuring that representatives entrusted with safeguarding customary laws, land rights and traditional institutions are elected through a distinct electoral process.

The demand has been championed for decades by pressure groups, civil society organisations and tribal bodies across Garo Hills, who contend that a separate electoral roll would strengthen the autonomy of the District Council and reinforce indigenous self-governance.

With the committee’s report now submitted, the focus shifts to the Executive Committee and subsequently the Council, where members are expected to deliberate on the recommendations during the July session.

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