Meghalaya Youth Congress slams state over appointment of DC as GHADC Principal Secretary

The Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) has sharply criticised the state government’s decision to assign West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal, IAS, additional charge as Principal Secretary of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), calling it an assault on the autonomy guaranteed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

In a statement, the MPYC said the move “strikes at the very spirit and purpose of the Sixth Schedule,” which was introduced under the Congress Government to safeguard the rights, identity, and self-governance of the tribal people of Northeast India.

The organisation accused the NPP-led government of attempting to “undermine and dilute” the constitutional protections of tribal self-rule by placing a serving state bureaucrat in charge of an autonomous council. “By bringing the GHADC under direct administrative control, the government is effectively eroding the foundation of the Sixth Schedule in Garo Hills,” the MPYC alleged.

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The Youth Congress also took a swipe at the current GHADC Executive Committee (EC), saying its inability to manage the Council’s affairs has allowed such bureaucratic interference. “If the present EC cannot uphold governance and autonomy, it should step down and make way for leadership that respects the Constitution and the rights of the people,” the statement read.

Reaffirming its commitment to tribal autonomy, the MPYC emphasised that “the Sixth Schedule is not just a legal provision — it is the lifeline of tribal self-rule and identity.” The organisation warned that any attempt to weaken it would face strong resistance from the people of Garo Hills and the Youth Congress.

The MPYC has demanded that the government immediately revoke its decision and restore full autonomy to the GHADC “in the true spirit of the Sixth Schedule.”