Shillong, May 8: The cabinet in Meghalaya on Tuesday decided to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The Bill aimed at granting Indian citizenship to minority communities – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan who entered India illegally to escape religious persecution, even if they do not provide required documents.

The joint parliamentary committee headed by BJP Lok Sabha MP, Rajendra Agrawal is also visiting Meghalaya to discuss with migrants/NGOs/public representatives and other stakeholders and hear their views/suggestions on matters relating to various provisions of the proposed bill.

The meeting will be held at the State Convention Centre in Shillong on May 10 and 11.

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong informed reporters that the Cabinet after discussing the draft citizenship amendment bill, decided to “say no to the bill.”

“From the government side, our stand is very clear and the decision of the cabinet will be communicated to the joint parliamentary committee also,” he said.

Registration of Marriage Rules

The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved the Meghalaya Registration of Marriage Rules, 2018

In the previous rules, it says that all registration of marriages shall be filed by those persons concerned with the office of the Registrar of Marriage after which, a section of Christian denominations requested the government to amend few clauses in the principle Act which was done in 2016.

“Now we also have to amend the rules of this Act. So now we have changed the rules which state that all registration of marriages maintained by the marriage officers or license holder shall be filed as permanent record and it should be done and furnished annually to the respective Registrar of Marriage annually to make things simpler for those concerned denominations as they have the license holders who conduct marriage ceremony,” Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong said.

Financial powers

The Cabinet has also approved the proposal of the finance department in connection with the Meghalaya Delegation of Financial Powers Rules, 2006 for enhancing the financial powers of the director of the Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI).

“MATI deals with different trainings and different trades of government employees as well as other institutes from outside or inside the state. Sometimes we engage resource persons from other states and we need to pay honorarium as well as transport charges, fooding and lodging. Therefore this financial power is extended to the director of MATI,” he said.

Passengers and goods

The Cabinet has approved amendment of Meghalaya Passengers and Goods Taxation Act, 1962 to be able to plug leakages of taxes from passengers and goods taxes.

“The amendment was for plugging those leakages. There are contractors or persons who are hiring bulldozers or dumpers from outside or inside the state but that kind of a tax is not there. So by brining this amendment, the government will be able to plug such leakages and able to enhance revenue generation,” he said.