Shillong: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Executive Committee plans to table a series of amendment bills when its upcoming session begins on June 17. Following a meeting on Monday, Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh confirmed the council will address updates to several key regulations, including the KHADC Service Rules, which have not seen major changes since 1961.
A primary focus of the session is the reintroduction of the Trading by Non-Tribal Regulation (Amendment) Bill. This legislation aims to resolve conflicts between council regulations and the state government's Labour Clearance Certificate system. Lyngdoh noted, “We have held discussions with the state government and received clarification that certain provisions under the regulation overlap with the LCC system.” Consequently, the council will shift its focus to Employee Clearance Licences to avoid regulatory friction.
The council is also set to reform the Administration of Land Act of 2021 to clarify the management and classification of Raid land, a recurring source of local disputes. Furthermore, the KHADC intends to amend the Fisheries Act of 1954 to curb excessive penalties imposed by traditional institutions. According to Lyngdoh, some bodies have incorrectly levied fines as high as Rs 50,000, significantly exceeding the legal limit of Rs 10,000 defined in the existing act.
The legislative package includes extensive amendments concerning 14 Himas under council jurisdiction. While pursuing this new agenda, Lyngdoh noted that the council continues to push for state government action on several other bills that have been passed but remain pending.
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