Shillong, May 18: A delegation of the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya (GCCM) on Friday urged the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government to move a special resolution and table a Bill in the State Assembly to incorporate the Instrument of Accession (IOA) and Annexed Agreement (AA) under separate Article 370 A for Khasi states.

The delegation led by John F Kharshiing, who is the chairman of the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya (GCCM), met Home Minister James K Sangma and sought his intervention into the matter.

The delegation also asked the state government to respond to letters sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to the state’s chief secretary in 2012 and 2014 on the issues of IOA & AA signed on August 17, 1948, which has been pending for the past seven decades.

“The state government should urge the Centre to constitute a time bound High Powered Committee under the Union Cabinet Secretary to resolve the AA and constitutional legal issues as advised by the National Commission for Schedule Tribes in its directive of April 26, 2012 and August 27, 2014,” he said.

Kharshiing informed that the home minister has agreed that these matters need in-depth understanding and unanimity from all concerns.

He said that the Home Minister said that that these issues has to be resolved, and a start must be made to address these long pending issues including the matter of replying to the MHA.

The minister assured that the Law and DCA departments would be asked to prepare a brief so that the State government can discuss these complex issues in the meeting with the Chief Minister and the Federation of Khasi States to be held next month.

On the other hand, Kharshiing said that the delay in formalization of the traditional Institutions of Syiem, Lyngdoh, Sirdar, Wahadar, Dolloi, Nokma within the Constitution has caused numerous conflicts at the ground level.

The delegation also sought the intervention of the minister as there was lack of interest on the part of the KHADC to respond to issues related to IOA & AA.