SHILLONG: Former Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) Chief Executive Member Moonlight Pariat has demanded the removal of Paragraph 12A of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, arguing that the provision has stripped Meghalaya’s Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) of meaningful legislative power.
Paragraph 12A allows state laws to override council laws on the same subject, effectively neutralizing the autonomy of ADCs.
Speaking after his induction into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pariat—a six-term MDC—criticized years of central inaction, recalling a 2018 central committee visit that yielded no progress.
He pledged to campaign within the BJP for the deletion of Paragraph 12A, describing the current system as giving MDCs “a vehicle with no fuel.”
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Pariat also highlighted the lack of development schemes and financial allocations to the councils nearly two years after the 2025 MDC elections, calling local governance “virtually meaningless” under present conditions.
He said his move from the UDP to the BJP was motivated by a desire for stronger advocacy at the national level and confidence that the BJP can deliver transformative change in Meghalaya.
Framing his call as a fight for indigenous rights and local self-governance, Pariat set a political target for the BJP to lead Meghalaya after the 2028 Assembly elections.
(4FrontMedia news)
