Sixth Schedule Amendment: Meghalaya cabinet studies questionnaires sent by MHA

SHILLONG | Oct 26, 2019:

Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma informed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent questionnaires to the State Government which relates to the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Informing this after the Cabinet meeting here on Friday, Sangma said that the Centre wanted the State Government reactions and replies on the questionnaires relating to the proposed amendment like the issue of incorporating the provisions of the anti-defection law, district planning committees, about reservation and also on the renaming of the district councils into a territorial councils.

"The Centre also asked on the total amount of funds which has been given to the district councils and the amount which the councils had already spent," Sangma said even as informing that the MHA also wanted the State Government to react to the issue of "unrepresented tribes".

"The reply to the various questionnaires was discussed in the cabinet. We will be sending the reply to the MHA," he said.

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When asked if the cabinet discussed on the issue of 'unrepresented tribes', Chief Minister said that the Cabinet did discussed this issue adding that it was of the view that specific reservation is not required since all the scheduled tribes are allowed to contest in the elections to the district councils.

Amendment of the Excise Rules

Meanwhile, the cabinet also decided to amend the Excise Rules with an aim to increase the state's revenue. Informing about this decision of the Cabinet, Meghalaya Chief Minister said that there are seven categories for the different brands and categories of IMFL.

"We have simply re-categorised the categories by reducing the value of the cost price of per case basis," he said. According to him, with the re-categorisation, the cabinet also changed the rate of the Ad valorem which are charged to the different categories.

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The Chief Minister said that because of this rationalisation that has been done between the categorization and the ad valorem rate there will be an increase of revenue amounting to Rs 7-8 crores.

Citing an example, he said that for a deluxe prestige brand the categorization used to be per case Rs 885 to Rs 1285.

"But now we have reduced that to Rs 701 to Rs 920 for the deluxe prestige brand. The idea being is to reduce the cost price and include certain brands in certain categories," he added.