Staff Reporter

Shillong, June 7: The state government is yet to appoint a new chairperson of the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW).

The post has been lying vacant after the government has de-notified the term of the MSCW with effect from January 18 through a notification issued on February 14, following complaints filed against the then Chairperson of the MSCW Phidalia Toi for violating the model code of conduct by participating in an election rally of the NPP legislator Wailadmiki Shylla recently.

Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh told reporters today that the government is yet to appoint the new chairperson of the MSCW.

“I have studied the file. The person concerned (P Toi) is not only about her being involved in the election campaign but according to the rules, she is supposed to attend at least three meetings of the board and she has abstained from four meetings and therefore, she does not qualify to be chairperson any longer,” Lyngdoh said.

He said that the government has to be very careful in the selection of the new incumbent after such experience.

“We need to ensure that we have people who can give a lot of attention as a women commission is a very important constitutional body and you have to have people who have the drive, the interest in that office as there is so much that the commission is being entrusted with,” Lyngdoh said.

The minister said that the department will come up with a panel of names for appointment of the new chairperson of the commission.

“We will come up with a panel of names and that panel of names will then come up to me for consideration as minister and then discuss this with the Chief Minister,” he said.

To another query, Lyngdoh admitted that appointment of a chairperson should not be based on political allegiance.

“You need not doubt as I always prefer merit, I always prefer quality so there is no shadow of doubt that we will not live up to those standards, we have to set standards for the state and such appointees should in fact not be selected based on their political allegiance,” he said.