November 10,2017: Meghalaya High Court has quashed a 2005 Act for appointment of parliamentary secretaries in the state. The court, however, left it to the Governor to take a decision on the disqualification of parliamentary secretaries as members of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
The verdict by a division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Ved Prakash Vaish came on a PIL challenging the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries in the state. Hours after the verdict, 17 Parliamentary Secretaries quit their post.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who accepted their resignation, defended their appointment and the law. Meanwhile, the petitioner in the case has said that he will soon submit a representation to Governor Ganga Prasad seeking disqualification of all the legislators named in the PIL.
The petitioner said, he will also appeal the Governor to dismiss the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government as it has been reduced to a minority with the disqualification of those legislators, who were appointed as parliamentary secretaries.
On July 26, Supreme Court had declared as unconstitutional a law enacted by Assam in 2004 that allowed the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries in the rank of Minister of State. (AIR NEWS)
