SHILLONG, APR 1: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said that the state government will press for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls while it examines demands to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to restrict benefits to indigenous tribes of the state.
Speaking to media persons, Sangma said that the state strongly supports an SIR to cleanse rolls of illegal names.
“As a state government, we feel very strongly that SIR should be implemented and we are for it and we will see when the situation arises, we are in touch with the Government of India as well as the Election Commission of India has communicated but we don’t have the exact date and the exact process but it is definitely something should be done,” he said.
Asked about the demand, Sangma said, “We have made it very clear and we will be basing it on the basis of the rules that have been followed in all the ADCs. We will be looking at all constitutional provisions but we are very clear that a separate electoral roll will be there.”
When pressed on calls to amend the ST Order to limit Scheduled Tribe recognition in autonomous district councils to indigenous communities, he said the government had not yet examined that detail. “That aspect we have not check — I mean we will examine that aspect as I have not seen yet. I have to see and understand what exactly the point is,” Sangma said.
The remarks came a day after the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) demanded both Centre and State to implement SIR and amend the ST Order, arguing that 53-54 tribes listed for Meghalaya include communities from other Northeastern states, allowing them to buy land, contest elections, and run businesses in tribal areas without restriction.
 of electoral rolls while it examines demands to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to restrict benefits to indigenous tribes of the state.){kind=link}