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Meghalaya Extends Garo Hills Council Term by Six Months Amid Leadership Change

The Meghalaya Cabinet has extended the tenure of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council by six months. The decision was announced by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong following a cabinet meeting dedicated solely to this agenda. Concurrently, Albinus R Marak resigned as Chief Executive Member, with Dhormonot CH Sangma being elected as his replacement. The extension grants the new Executive Committee time to address pending administrative issues and key policy matters before elections.

Key Points: Meghalaya Cabinet Extends Garo Hills Council Term

  • Council term extended from April 18 to Oct 18
  • Albinus R Marak resigned as CEM
  • Dhormonot CH Sangma elected new CEM
  • New committee to decide on ST matter, election rules
2 min read

Meghalaya Cabinet extends Garo Hills Council term by six months

Meghalaya Cabinet extends GHADC term for 6 months. New CEM elected after Albinus Marak resigns. Key policy decisions left to new committee.

"We had only one agenda... to extend the term - Prestone Tynsong"

Shillong, March 16

The Meghalaya Cabinet on Monday decided to extend the tenure of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council by six months, beginning April 18.

The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting that had only one agenda: to deliberate on the future of the council's current term.

Announcing the decision, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said the Cabinet carefully discussed the situation before arriving at the conclusion.

"We had only one agenda in today's Cabinet meeting, and that was regarding the extension of the term of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council. After detailed deliberation and discussion on all aspects, the Cabinet has decided to extend the term of the present House for a period of six months, from April 18 to October 18," Tynsong stated.

Meanwhile, political developments also unfolded within the council on the same day. Tynsong informed that Albinus R Marak stepped down as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the council earlier in the day.

"I am happy to inform you that this morning the Chief Executive Member of the District Council, Shri Albinus R. Marak, resigned from his post. Later in the afternoon, the House elected a new Chief Executive Member, Shri Dhormonot CH Sangma," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

With the formation of the new Executive Committee, Tynsong said the government will now leave key policy decisions to the council's leadership.

"Now that the new Executive Committee is in place and the term has been extended for another six months, we leave it to the wisdom of the new Executive Committee to take a call on important issues, including the Scheduled Tribe matter and the question of contesting elections by both tribal and non-tribal candidates in the GHADC," he added.

The extension is expected to provide the council more time to address pending administrative and policy matters before fresh elections are held later this year.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting to see this development. As an observer from outside the region, it looks like a practical move to ensure stability. The mention of letting the new committee handle "key policy decisions" like the Scheduled Tribe matter is crucial. Hope it leads to inclusive solutions.
P
Priyanka N
Good decision by the Cabinet. The GHADC needs this breathing space to sort out administrative backlog. The change in leadership on the same day is a bit surprising, but if it brings fresh energy, then it's for the best. Jai Meghalaya! 🙏
A
Aman W
While extension provides stability, we must ensure it doesn't become a habit to postpone elections. Accountability is key. The new CEM, Shri Dhormonot CH Sangma, has a big task ahead - addressing the ST matter and ensuring fair elections for all candidates. Let's hope for transparency.
K
Kavya N
This is positive news for Garo Hills. A smooth transition of power and an extension to complete important work. The focus should now be on development and resolving long-pending issues for the tribal communities. All the best to the new committee! 👍

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