SHILLONG: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of District Council Affairs, Prestone Tynsong, on Tuesday announced that the state government will undertake a comprehensive revision of the electoral rolls for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), following a key amendment restricting voter eligibility to Scheduled Tribes (STs) only.
The move comes after the Governor’s assent to the amendment of Rule 8 of the GHADC (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, marking a major policy shift that explicitly limits inclusion in the electoral rolls to “Only Scheduled Tribe.”
Tynsong said the government’s immediate priority is to work out the modalities for revisiting and purging the existing electoral rolls to align with the amended provision.
“We are grateful to the Hon’ble Governor for approving the amendment passed by the GHADC relating to Rule 8. Now that the amendment is in place, our next step is to revisit the electoral rolls and ensure they reflect the ‘Only Scheduled Tribe’ criteria,” he told reporters.
The Deputy Chief Minister stated that the objective is to bring the GHADC in line with the established practices of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), where only tribal voters are eligible to participate in district council elections.
He added that while KHADC and JHADC already follow the tribal-only voter system, the state government will formalise the process by writing to both councils, directing them to amend their respective rules and seek the Governor’s assent to ensure legal uniformity across all three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
To implement the transition, the government is expected to hold detailed consultations with GHADC authorities and roll out a structured process, including:
- Consultations: Meetings with council leadership to streamline verification mechanisms
- Operational Measures: Issuing directives to identify and remove ineligible names from existing electoral rolls
- Legal Alignment: Ensuring all ADCs operate under a uniform “Only Scheduled Tribe” electoral framework
The development addresses a long-standing demand from pressure groups and civil society organisations in Garo Hills, who have consistently called for stronger safeguards to preserve the indigenous character and constitutional mandate of the autonomous councils.
