Budget session begins in Meghalaya

Shillong, Mar 17 (UNI) The eight-day Meghalaya budget session today began with placing of much-awaited Select Committe Report on Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education (amendment) bill, 2005 and MBOSE (second amendment) ordinance, 2005.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy, also in-charge of Education, presented the committee report.

The controversial Bill was introduced in the House on October 17 last by Dr Roy and published in the Meghalaya Gazzete.

As most of the members were not in favour of pasing the Bill in the same session due to agitation by various NGOs in Meghalaya, it was referred to the Select Committee on the same day for reporting back to the House during the next session.

The Committee had altogether five sittings till the stage of finalisation of the report early this year.

As per the report, the committee decided to make some recommendations to the House, which made it clear that Principal Director earlier described in the Bill would mean Principal Director of the Board.

The Board's officers who shall be appointed by the government include Executive Chairman, Principal Direcotr, Director Administration, Director Accreditation and Controller of Examinations, Chief Accounts Officers and the Chief Academic Officers.

Another controversial point in the bill which aggravated the Garo Hills was that Regional Office which the committee advised to delete and substitute as Shillong Meghalaya Board of School Education Office.

With the earlier Bill placed in the House, the Garo hills reacted heavily that said the power of MBOSE, headquartered at Tura, West Garo Hills would be liquidated.

The amendment had earlier said the Shillong Office of the Board would be known as Regional Office.

The government had been trying to convince the Garo people that it had no intention to bifurcate the MBOSE and its headquarter would remain in Tura only.

Among other business of the House, Finance Minister Dr Donkupar Roy presented the supplementary demands for grants and supplementary appropriation for 2005-06, PHE Minister H D R Lyngdoh laid the annual report on Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board for the year, 2003-04.

UNI PRS PL SS1451