The second meeting of the Autonomous District Councils was held today at Raj Bhavan. Mizoram Governor Shri Kummanam Rajasekharan chaired the meeting which was attended by Mara Autonomous District Council CEM Shri N. Zakhai and other members from the Council while the State government was represented by officials from District Council and Minority Affairs department and the Governor’s Secretariat. 

Hon’ble Governor Shri Kummanam Rajasekharan in his address said that the purpose of the meeting was to sit, think and act together as a team for the development of the District Council region. An open mind was needed to discuss the present scenario, arrive at a conclusion, then formulate a plan and act in a time-bound manner, he added. He said that it is their duty to get funds and utilize it judiciously within the framework of their plan. He requested them to submit reports periodically, apprise higher authorities of their activities and acquire services wherever necessary thereby promoting transparency. The Governor also said that their primary objective is to attend to fundamental issues of the public and to development them financially, educationally, provide them employment and cannot continue to depend on the Central and the State government He asked the members to reflect on themselves whether they are part of the problem or part of the solution. Meanwhile, he urged them to keep in touch with the changing world, develop models for the Council and set targets for the future. In the end, he said the meeting will give a new light in making further progress, and also looked forward to their cooperation. 

In the discussion, it was highlighted that the proposed amendments to the Fund Rules of the Autonomous District Councils is under process and the Internal Audit system proposed by Accountant General, Mizoram will begin soon. There have been problems in supply of potable water, existence of parallel State and Council government initiatives in agriculture and allied activities. Development of potential area in agriculture was one key concern, while garbage collection and waste management were also discussed upon. Interconnectivity between villages, skill development and employability of the literate youth, absence of science stream at colleges and the need for more frequent helicopter services were also highlighted. 

During the meeting, the representatives of Mara Autonomous District Council submitted a two point memorandum concerning the amendment to the 6^thSchedule of the Indian Constitution and the revocation of ban on recruitment to the District Council. They also submitted ‘A Report of Administrative Reforms Commission Mara Autonomous District Council 2018’ to the Hon’ble Governor.