11. Constitution of the Legislature of Meghalaya.—(1) There shall be a Legislature for Meghalaya
which shall consist of the Governor and the Legislative Assembly.
(2) The total number of seats in the Legislative Assembly to be filled by persons chosen by direct
election from constituencies in Meghalaya shall be fixed by the Central Government by notification in the
Official Gazette after consultation with the Election Commission, but shall not be less than thirty-five or
more than fifty-five.
(3) The Governor may, if he is of opinion that any minority communities in Meghalaya need
representation in the Legislative Assembly and are not adequately represented therein, nominate not more
than three members of such communities, not being persons in the service of the Government, to the
Legislative Assembly.
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12. Delimitations of constituencies.—(1) The Election Commission shall, in the manner herein
provided, distribute the total number of seats in the Legislative Assembly as fixed under sub-section (2)
of section 11 to single member constituencies and delimit them on the basis of the latest census figures
having regard to the following provisions, namely:—
(a) all constituencies shall, as far as practicable, consist of geographically compact areas, and in
delimiting them, regard shall be had to the physical features, existing boundaries of administrative
units, facilities of communication and public convenience;
(b) every constituency shall be so delimited as to fall only within an Assembly constituency of the
Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam;
(c) the population of each constituency shall, as far as practicable, be the same throughout
Meghalaya.
(2) For the purpose of assisting the Election Commission in the performance of its functions under
this section, the Commission shall associate with itself such number of associate members not exceeding
five as the Governor may nominate to represent Meghalaya:
Provided that none of the associate members shall have a right to vote or to sign any decision of the
Election Commission.
(3) If owing to death or resignation, the office of an associate member falls vacant, it shall be filled as
soon as may be practicable by the Governor in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2).
(4) The Election Commission shall—
(a) publish its proposals for the delimitation of constituencies, together with the dissenting
proposals, if any, of any associate member who desires publication thereof, in the Official Gazette
and in such other manner as the Commission may consider fit, together with a notice inviting
objections and suggestions in relation to the proposals and specifying a date on or after which the
proposals will be further considered by it;
(b) consider all objections and suggestions which may have been received by it before the date so
specified, and for the purpose of such consideration hold one or more public sittings at such place or
places as it may think fit;
(c) after considering all objections and suggestions which may have been received by it before the
date so specified, determine by one or more orders the delimitation of constituencies and cause such
order or orders to be published in the Official Gazette; and upon such publication, the order or orders
shall have the full force of law and shall not be called in question in any court.
(5) As soon as may be after such publication, every such order shall be laid before the
Legislative Assembly.
(6) Upon the completion of each census, the total number of seats in the Legislative Assembly and the
division of Meghalaya into territorial constituencies shall be readjusted by such authority and in such
manner as Parliament may by law determine:
Provided that such readjustment shall not affect representation in the Legislative Assembly until the
dissolution of the then existing Assembly.
Explanation.—In this section, ―latest census figures‖ mean the census figures with respect to
Meghalaya ascertainable from the latest census of which the finally published figures are available.
13. Power of Election Commission to maintain delimitation orders up-to-date.—(1) The Election
Commission may, from time to time by notification in the Official Gazette,—
(a) correct any printing mistake in any order made under section 12 or any error arising therein
from inadvertent slip or omission;
(b) where the boundaries or name of any territorial division mentioned in any such order are or is
altered, make such amendments as appear to it to be necessary or expedient for bringing such order
up-to-date.
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(2) Every notification under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is issued, before the
Legislative Assembly.
14. Electors and electoral rolls.—(1) The persons entitled to vote at an election of members shall be
the persons entitled by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution and the Representation of the People
Act, 1950 (43 of 1950) to be registered as voters at elections to the House of the People.
(2) The electoral roll for every constituency shall consist of so much of the electoral roll for an
Assembly constituency of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam as relates to the areas
comprised within each such constituency and it shall not be necessary to prepare or revise separately the
electoral roll for any such constituency.
15. Right to vote.—Every person, whose name is for the time being entered in the electoral roll for a
constituency, shall be entitled to vote at the election of a member from that constituency.
16. Qualification for membership.—A person shall not be qualified to be chosen to fill a seat in the
Legislative Assembly unless he—
(a) is a citizen of India and makes and subscribes before some person authorised in that behalf by
the Election Commission an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the
First Schedule;
(b) is not less than twenty-five years of age; and
(c) is an elector in any constituency in Meghalaya.
17. Election to the Legislative Assembly.—The provisions of Part I, Chapters III and IV of Part II
and Parts III to XI of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951), and of any rules and orders
made thereunder for the time being in force, shall apply to and in relation to the elections to the
Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya as they apply to and in relation to an election to the
Legislative Assembly of a State, subject to such modifications as the President may, after consultation
with the Election Commission, by order, direct.
18. Duration of Legislative Assembly.—The Legislative Assembly, unless sooner dissolved, shall
continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer, and the expiration of
the said period of five years shall operate as a dissolution of the Legislative Assembly:
Provided that the said period may, while a Proclamation of Emergency issued under clause (1) of
article 352 is in operation, be extended by Parliament by law for a period not exceeding one year at a time
and not extending in any case beyond a period of six months after the Proclamation has ceased to operate.
19. Sessions of Legislative Assembly, prorogation and dissolution—(1) The Governor shall, from
time to time summon the Legislative Assembly to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six
months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting
in the next session.
(2) The Governor may, from time to time,—
(a) prorogue the Legislative Assembly;
(b) dissolve the Legislative Assembly.
20. Right of Governor to address and send messages to Legislative Assembly.—(1) The Governor
may address the Legislative Assembly and may for that purpose require the attendance of members.
(2) The Governor may send messages to the Legislative Assembly, whether with respect to a Bill then
pending in the Legislative Assembly or otherwise and when a message is so sent, the Legislative
Assembly shall with all convenient despatch consider any matter required by the message to be taken into
consideration.
21. Special address by the Governor.—(1) At the commencement of the first session after each
general election to the Legislative Assembly and at the commencement of the first session of each year,
the Governor shall address the Legislative Assembly and inform the Assembly of the causes of its
summons.
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(2) Provision shall be made by the rules regulating the procedure of the Legislative Assembly for the
allotment of time for discussion of the matters referred to in such address.
22. Rights of Ministers as respects Legislative Assembly.—Every Minister and the
Advocate-General for Meghalaya shall have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the
proceedings of, the Legislative Assembly, and to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings
of, any committee of the Legislative Assembly of which he may be named a member, but shall not, by
virtue of this section, be entitled to vote.
Officers of the Legislative Assembly
23. Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assembly.—(1) The Legislative Assembly shall, as
soon as may be, choose two members of the Assembly to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker
thereof, and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the Assembly shall
choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.
(2) A member holding office as Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly—
(a) shall vacate his office if he ceases to be a member of the Assembly;
(b) may at any time by writing under his hand addressed, if such member is the Speaker, to the
Deputy Speaker, and if such member is the Deputy Speaker, to the Speaker, resign his office; and
(c) may be removed from his office by a resolution of the Legislative Assembly passed by a
majority of all the then members of the Assembly:
Provided that no resolution for the purpose of clause (c) shall be moved unless at least fourteen days’
notice has been given of the intention to move the resolution:
Provided further that whenever the Legislative Assembly is dissolved, the Speaker shall not vacate his
office until immediately before the first meeting of the Assembly after the dissolution.
(3) While the office of Speaker is vacant, the duties of the office shall be performed by the
Deputy Speaker or, if the office of Deputy Speaker is also vacant, by such member of the Legislative
Assembly as the Governor may appoint for the purpose.
(4) During the absence of the Speaker from any sitting of the Legislative Assembly, the
Deputy Speaker or, if he is also absent, such person as may be determined by the rules of procedure of the
Legislative Assembly, or, if no such person is present, such other person as may be determined by the
Legislative Assembly, shall act as Speaker.
(5) There shall be paid to the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly such
salaries and allowances as may be respectively fixed by the Legislature of Meghalaya by law and, until
provision in that behalf is so made, such salaries and allowances as the Governor may, by order,
determine.
24. Speaker and Deputy Speaker not to preside while a resolution for his removal from office is
under consideration.—(1) At any sitting of the Legislative Assembly while any resolution for the
removal of the Speaker from his office is under consideration, the Speaker, or, while any resolution for
the removal of the Deputy Speaker from his office is under consideration, the Deputy Speaker, shall not,
though he is present, preside, and the provisions of sub-section (4) of section 23 shall apply in relation to
every such sitting as they apply in relation to a sitting from which the Speaker or, as the case may be, the
Deputy Speaker is absent.
(2) The Speaker shall have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, the
Legislative Assembly while any resolution for his removal from office is under consideration in the
Legislative Assembly and shall, notwithstanding anything in section 27, be entitled to vote only in the
first instance on such resolution or on any other matter during such proceedings but not in the case of an
equality of votes.
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25. Secretariat of Legislative Assembly.—(1) The Legislative Assembly shall have a separate
secretarial staff.
(2) The Legislature of Meghalaya may by law regulate the recruitment, and the conditions of service
of persons appointed, to the secretarial staff of the Legislative Assembly.
(3) Until provision is made by the Legislature of Meghalaya under sub-section (2), the Governor may,
after consultation with the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, make rules regulating the recruitment,
and the conditions of service of persons appointed, to the secretarial staff of the Legislative Assembly,
and any rules so made shall have effect subject to the provisions of any law made under the said
sub-section.
Conduct of business
26. Oath or affirmation by members.—Every member of the Legislative Assembly shall, before
taking his seat, make and subscribe before the Governor, or some person appointed in that behalf by him,
an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the First Schedule.
27. Voting in Assembly, power of Assembly to act notwithstanding vacancies and
quorum.—(1) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, all questions at any sitting of the
Legislative Assembly shall be determined by majority of votes of the members present and voting other
than the Speaker or person acting as such.
(2) The Speaker or person acting as such shall not vote in the first instance, but shall have and
exercise a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.
(3) The Legislative Assembly shall have power to act notwithstanding any vacancy in the
membership thereof, and any proceedings in the Legislative Assembly shall be valid notwithstanding that
it is discovered subsequently that some person who was not entitled so to do sat or voted or otherwise
took part in the proceedings.
(4) Until the Legislature of Meghalaya by law otherwise provides, the quorum to constitute a meeting
of the Legislative Assembly shall be ten members.
(5) If at any time during a meeting of the Legislative Assembly there is no quorum, it shall be the
duty of the Speaker or person acting as such either to adjourn the Assembly or suspend the meeting until
there is a quorum.
Disqualifications of members
28. Vacation of seats.—(1) No person shall be a member of Parliament or of the
Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam and also of the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya, and if a
person is chosen a member of Parliament or of the Legislative Assembly of Assam and also of the
Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya, then, at the expiration of such period, as may be specified in rules
made by the President, that person’s seat in Parliament or, as the case may be, in the
Legislative Assembly of Assam, shall become vacant unless he has previously resigned his seat in the
Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya.
(2) If a member of the Legislative Assembly—
(a) becomes subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in section 29, or
(b) resigns his seat by writing under his hand addressed to the Speaker,
his seat shall thereupon become vacant.
(3) If for a period of sixty days a member of the Legislative Assembly is, without permission of the
Legislative Assembly, absent from all meetings thereof, the Assembly may declare his seat vacant:
Provided that in computing the said period of sixty days no account shall be taken of any period
during which the Legislative Assembly is prorogued or is adjourned for more than four consecutive days.
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29. Disqualification for membership.—(1) A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and
for being, a member of the Legislative Assembly,—
(a) if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State
or the Government of Meghalaya other than an office declared by the Legislature of Meghalaya by
law not to disqualify its holder; or
(b) if he is of unsound mind any stands so declared by a competent court;
(c) if he is an undischarged insolvent;
(d) if he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State or is
under any acknowledgment of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State;
(e) if he is so disqualified by or under any of the provisions of Chapter III of Part II of the
Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951), as applied to and in relation to the
Legislative Assembly by section 17.
(2) For the purposes of this section, a person shall not be deemed to hold an office of profit under the
Government of India or the Government of any State or the Government of Meghalaya by reason only,
that he is a Minister either for the Union or for such State or for Meghalaya.
(3) If any question arises as to whether a member has become disqualified for being such a member
under the provisions of sub-section (1), the question shall be referred for the decision of the Governor and
his decision shall be final.
(4) Before giving any decision on any such question, the Governor shall obtain the opinion of the
Election Commission and shall act according to such opinion.
30. Penalty for sitting and voting before making an oath or affirmation or when not qualified or
when disqualified.—If a person sits or votes as member of the Legislative Assembly before he has
complied with the requirements of section 26, or when he knows that he is not qualified or that he is
disqualified for membership thereof, or that he is prohibited from so doing by the provisions of any law
made by Parliament or the Legislature of Meghalaya, he shall be liable in respect of each day on which he
so sits or votes, to a penalty of five hundred rupees to be recovered as a debt due to Meghalaya.
31. Powers, privileges, etc., of members.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act and to the rules
and standing orders regulating the procedure of the Legislature of Meghalaya, there shall be freedom of
speech in the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya.
(2) No member of the Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya shall be liable to any proceedings in any
court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in the Assembly or any committee thereof, and
no person shall be so liable in respect of the publication by or under the authority of the Assembly of any
report, paper, votes or proceedings.
(3) In other respects, the powers, privileges and immunities of the Legislative Assembly and of the
members and the committees thereof shall be such as may from time to time be defined by the Legislature
of Meghalaya by law, and until so defined, shall be those for the time being enjoyed by the House of the
People and its members and committees.
(4) The provisions of sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) shall apply in relation to persons who by virtue of
this Act have the right to speak in, or otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, the Legislative
Assembly or any committee thereof as they apply in relation to members of that Assembly.
32. Salaries and allowances of members.—Members of the Legislative Assembly shall be entitled
to receive such salaries and allowances as may from time to time be determined by the Legislature of
Meghalaya by law and, until provision in that respect is so made, such salaries and allowances as the
Governor may, by order, determine.
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Legislative powers and procedure
33. Extent of Legislative power.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Legislature of
Meghalaya has exclusive power to make laws for Meghalaya or any part thereof with respect to any of the
matters enumerated in Part A or Part B of the Second Schedule:
Provided that the exclusive power of the Legislature of Meghalaya to make laws in so far as it relates
to that part of the area comprised within the municipality of Shillong as immediately before the
commencement of the Constitution formed part of the Khasi State of Mylliem, shall extend only to
matters with respect to which the District Council having authority in that area has power to make laws
(in whatever form it may be) immediately before the appointed day in exercise of any of the powers
conferred by the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution.
(2) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Legislature of Meghalaya and the Legislature of the
State of Assam also shall have power to make laws for Meghalaya or any part thereof with respect to any
of the matters enumerated in Part C of the Second Schedule:
Provided that the power of the Legislature of Meghalaya to make any such law shall not extend to the
area comprised within the municipality of Shillong which immediately before the commencement of the
Constitution formed part of the Khasi State of Mylliem.
(3) For the removal of doubt it is hereby declared that nothing in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2)
shall derogate from the powers conferred by the Constitution—
(a) on Parliament to make laws for the whole or any part of the State of Assam, including
Meghalaya, with respect to any of the matters enumerated in the Second Schedule; or
(b) on the Legislature of the State of Assam to make laws for the whole or any part of Assam,
including Meghalaya, with respect to any of the matters enumerated in List II or List II in the Seventh
Schedule to the Constitution, except in so far as any of the matters aforesaid falls within
sub-section (1).
34. Exemption from taxation of properties of the Union and the State of Assam and of certain
vehicles registered in Assam or Meghalaya.—(1) The property of the Union shall, save in so far as
Parliament may, by law, otherwise provide, be exempt from all taxes imposed by Meghalaya or by any
authority within Meghalaya.
(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall, until Parliament by law otherwise provides, prevent any authority
within Meghalaya from levying any tax on any property of the Union to which such property was
immediately before the commencement of this Act liable or treated as liable so long as that tax continues
to be levied in Meghalaya.
(3) The property of the State of Assam shall, so long as the property of Meghalaya in the rest of
Assam is exempt from taxes imposed by the Government of Assam or by any authority within the State of
Assam, be exempt from all taxes imposed by Meghalaya or by any authority within Meghalaya.
(4) No vehicle registered at any place in the State of Assam, not being a place in Meghalaya, and
transiting through Meghalaya shall be liable to any tax under any law enacted by the Legislature of
Meghalaya so long as any vehicle registered at any place in Meghalaya and transiting through the territory
of Assam (not comprised in Meghalaya) is exempt from payment of any tax under any law enacted by the
Legislature of the State of Assam.
35. Inconsistency between laws made by Parliament and laws made by the Legislature of
Meghalaya.—(1) If any provision of a law made by the Legislature of Meghalaya is repugnant to any
provision of a law made by Parliament which Parliament is competent to enact, or to any provision of any
existing law with respect to one of the matters enumerated in the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule
to the Constitution, then, subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), the law made by Parliament,
whether passed before or after the law, made by the Legislature of Meghalaya, or, as the case may be, the
existing law, shall prevail and the law made by the Legislature of Meghalaya shall, to the extent of the
repugnancy, be void.
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(2) Where a law made by the Legislature of Meghalaya with respect to one of the matters enumerated
in the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, which the Legislature of Meghalaya is
competent to enact under this Act contains any provision repugnant to the provision of an earlier law
made by Parliament or an existing law with respect to that matter, then, the law so made by the
Legislature of Meghalaya shall, if it has been reserved for the consideration of the President and has
received his assent, prevail in Meghalaya:
Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall prevent Parliament from enacting at any time, any law
with respect to the same matter, including a law adding to, amending, varying or repealing the law so
made by the Legislature of Meghalaya.
36. Inconsistency between laws made by the Legislature of the State of Assam and laws made by
the Legislature of Meghalaya.—Where a law made by the Legislature of Meghalaya with respect to one
of the matters enumerated in Part C of the Second Schedule contains any provisions repugnant to the
provision of an earlier law made by the Legislature of the State of Assam which that Legislature is
competent to enact, or to any provision of any existing law with respect to that matter, then, the law so
made by the Legislature of Meghalaya shall, to the extent of the repugnancy, be void unless the law has
received assent under section 39 after the Governor has obtained the advice of the Chief Minister of
Assam:
Provided that nothing contained in this section shall prevent the Legislature of the State of Assam
from enacting at any time any law with respect to the same matter including a law adding to, amending,
varying or repealing the law so made by the Legislature of Meghalaya.
Explanation 1.—In this section and in sections 35 and 59, ―existing law‖ means any law, Ordinance,
order, bye-law, rule or regulation passed or made before the appointed day by any Legislature, authority
or person having power to make such a law, Ordinance, order, bye-law, rule or regulation.
Explanation 2.—In this section and in sections 39 and 50, the reference to the advice of the
Chief Minister of Assam shall, while a Proclamation issued in relation to the State of Assam under clause
(1) of article 356 of the Constitution is in operation, be construed as a reference to the instructions from
the President.
37. Special provisions as to financial Bills.—(1) A Bill or amendment shall not be introduced into,
or moved in, the Legislative Assembly except on the recommendations of the Governor if such Bill or
amendment makes provisions dealing with any of the following matters, namely:—
(a) the imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax;
(b) the regulation of the borrowing of money or the giving of any guarantee by Meghalaya or the
amendment of the law with respect to any financial obligations undertaken or to be undertaken by
Meghalaya;
(c) the custody of the Consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund of Meghalaya, the payment of
moneys into, or withdrawal of moneys from, any such Fund;
(d) the appropriation of moneys out of the Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya;
(e) the declaring of any expenditure to be expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of
Meghalaya, or the increasing of the amount of any such expenditure;
(f) the receipt of money on account of the Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya or the public account
of Meghalaya or the custody or issue of such money:
Provided that no recommendation shall be required under this sub-section for the moving of an
amendment making provision for the reduction or abolition of any tax.
(2) A Bill or amendment shall not be deemed to make provision for any of the matters specified in
sub-section (1) by reason only that it provides for the imposition of fines or other pecuniary penalties, or
for the demand or payment of fees for licences or fees for services rendered, or by reason that it provides
for the imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax by any local authority or body
for local purposes.
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(3) A Bill, which, if enacted and brought into operation, would involve expenditure from the
Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya shall not be passed by the Legislative Assembly unless the Governor
has recommended to the Assembly the consideration of the Bill.
38. Procedure as to lapsing of Bills.—A Bill pending in the Legislative Assembly shall not lapse by
reason of the prorogation of the Assembly, but shall lapse on a dissolution thereof.
39. Assent to Bills.—When a Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly, it shall be presented
to the Governor and the Governor shall declare either that he assents to the Bill or that he withholds
assent therefrom or that he reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President:
Provided that the Governor may, as soon as possible after the presentation to him of the Bill for
assent, return the Bill if it is not a Money Bill together with a message requesting that the
Legislative Assembly will reconsider the Bill or any specified provisions thereof and, in particular, will
consider the desirability of introducing any such amendments as he may recommend in his message and,
when a Bill is so returned, the Legislative Assembly shall reconsider the Bill accordingly, and if the Bill
is passed again by the Assembly with or without amendment and presented to the Governor for assent, the
Governor shall not—
(a) give assent in the case of a Bill containing provisions of the nature referred to in section 36
except after obtaining the advice of the Chief Minister of Assam;
(b) withhold assent in the case of any other Bill.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section and section 40 a Bill shall be deemed to be a Money
Bill if it contains only provisions dealing with all or any of the matters specified in sub-section (1) of
section 37 or any matter incidental to any of those matters and there is endorsed thereon the certificate of
the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly signed by him that it is a Money Bill:
Provided that a Bill shall not be deemed to be a Money Bill by reason only that it provides for the
imposition of fines or other pecuniary penalties, or for the demand or payment of fees for licences or fees
for services rendered or by reason that it provides for the imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or
regulation of any tax by any local authority or body for local purposes.
40. Bills reserved for consideration.—When a Bill is reserved by the Governor for the consideration
of the President, the President shall declare either that he assents to the Bill or that he withholds assent
therefrom:
Provided that where the Bill is not a Money Bill, the President may direct the Governor to return the
Bill to the Legislative Assembly together with such a message as is referred to in section 39, and when a
Bill is so returned, the Legislative Assembly shall reconsider it accordingly within a period of six months
from the date of receipt of such message, and if it is again passed by the Legislative Assembly with or
without amendment, it shall be presented again to the President for his consideration.
41. Requirements as to sanction and recommendation to be regarded as matters of procedure
only.—No Act of the Legislature of Meghalaya and no provision in any such Act shall be invalid by
reason only that some recommendation or previous sanction required by the Constitution or this Act was
not given, if assent to that Act was given—
(a) where the recommendation required was that of the Governor, either by the Governor or by
the President;
(b) where the recommendation or previous sanction required was that of the President, by the
President.
Procedure in financial matters
42. Annual Financial Statement.—(1) The Governor shall in respect of every financial year cause to
be laid before the Legislative Assembly a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of
Meghalaya for that year, hereinafter referred to as ―the annual financial, statement‖.
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(2) The estimates of expenditure embodied in the annual financial statement shall show separately—
(a) the sums required to meet expenditure described by this Act as expenditure charged upon the
Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya; and
(b) the sums required to meet other expenditure proposed to be made from the Consolidated Fund
of Meghalaya,
and shall distinguish expenditure on revenue account from other expenditure.
(3) The following expenditure shall be expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Fund of
Meghalaya—
(a) the salaries and allowances of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the
Legislative Assembly;
(b) debt charges for which the autonomous State is liable including interest sinking fund charges
and redemption charges, and other expenditure relating to the raising of loans and the service and
redemption of debt;
(c) any sums required to satisfy any judgment, decree or award of any court or arbitral tribunal;
and
(d) any other expenditure declared by the Constitution or by the Legislature of Meghalaya to be
so charged.
43. Procedure in Legislative Assembly with respect to estimates.—(1) So much of the estimates as
relates to expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya shall not be submitted to the
vote of the Legislative Assembly, but nothing in this sub-section shall be construed as preventing the
discussion in the Legislative Assembly of any of those estimates.
(2) So much of the said estimates as relates to other expenditure shall be submitted in the form of
demands for grants to the Legislative Assembly, and the Legislative Assembly shall have power to assent,
or to refuse to assent, to any demand, or to assent to any demand subject to a reduction of the amount
specified therein.
(3) No demand for a grant shall be made except on the recommendation of the Governor.
44. Appropriation Bills.—(1) As soon as may be after the grants under section 43 have been made
by the Legislative Assembly, there shall be introduced a Bill to provide for the appropriation out of the
Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya of all moneys required to meet—
(a) the grants so made by the Legislative Assembly; and
(b) the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya,
but not exceeding in any case the amount shown in the statement previously laid before the Assembly.
(2) No amendment shall be proposed to any such Bill in the Legislative Assembly which will have the
effect of varying the amount or altering the destination of any grant so made or of varying the amount of
any expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya, and the decision of the person
presiding as to whether an amendment is inadmissible under this sub-section shall be final.
(3) Subject to the provisions of sections 45 and 46, no money shall be withdrawn from the
Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya except under appropriation made by law passed in accordance with the
provisions of this section.
45. Supplementary, additional or excess grants.—(1) The Governor shall,—
(a) if the amount authorised by any law made in accordance with the provisions of section 44 to
be expended for a particular service for the current financial year is found to be insufficient for the
purposes of that year or when a need has arisen during the current financial year for supplementary or
additional expenditure upon some new service not contemplated in the annual financial statement for
that year, or
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(b) if any money has been spent on any service during a financial year in excess of the amount
granted for that service and for that year,
cause to be laid before the Legislative Assembly another statement showing the estimated amount of that
expenditure or cause to be presented to the Legislative Assembly a demand for such excess, as the case
may be.
(2) The provisions of sections 42, 43 and 44 shall have effect in relation to any such statement and
expenditure or demand and also to any law to be made authorising the appropriation of moneys out of the
Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya to meet such expenditure or the grant in respect of such demand as they
have effect in relation to the annual financial statement and the expenditure mentioned therein or to a
demand for a grant and the law to be made for the authorisation of appropriation of moneys out of the
Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya to meet such expenditure or grant.
46. Votes on Account and exceptional grant.—(1) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing
provisions of this Part, the Legislative Assembly shall have power—
(a) to make any grant in advance in respect of the estimated expenditure for a part of any
financial year pending the completion of the procedure prescribed in section 43 for the voting of such
grant and the passing of the law in accordance with the provisions of section 44 in relation to that
expenditure;
(b) to make a grant for meeting an unexpected demand upon the resources of the autonomous
State when on account of the magnitude or the indefinite character of the service the demand cannot
be stated with the details ordinarily given in the annual financial statement;
(c) to make an exceptional grant which forms no part of the current service of any financial year;
and the Legislature of Meghalaya shall have power to authorise by law the withdrawal of moneys from
the Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya for the purpose for which the said grants are made.
(2) The provisions of sections 43 and 44 shall have effect in relation to the making of any grant under
sub-section (1) and to any law to be made under that sub-section as they have effect in relation to the
making of a grant with regard to any expenditure mentioned in the annual financial statement and the law
to be made for the authorisation of appropriation of moneys out of the Consolidated Fund of Meghalaya
to meet such expenditure.
Procedure generally
47. Rules of procedure.—(1) The Legislative Assembly may make rules for regulating, subject to the
provisions of this Act, its procedure and the conduct of its business including the language or languages
to be used in the Legislative Assembly.
(2) Until rules are made under sub-section (1), the rules of procedure and standing orders with respect
to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam in force immediately before the commencement of this
Act shall have effect in relation to the Legislative Assembly subject to such modifications and adaptations
as may be made therein by the Governor.
48. Restrictions on discussion in the Legislative Assembly.—No discussion shall take place in the
Legislative Assembly with respect to the conduct of any Judge of the Supreme Court, or of a High Court,
in the discharge of his duties.
49. Courts not to enquire into the proceedings of Legislative Assembly.—(1) The validity of any
proceedings in the Legislative Assembly shall not be called in question on the ground of any alleged
irregularity of procedure.
(2) No officer or member of the Legislative Assembly in whom powers are vested by or under this
Act for regulating procedure or the conduct of business or for maintaining order, in the
Legislative Assembly shall be subject to the jurisdiction of any court in respect of the exercise by him of
those powers.
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Legislative power of the Governor
50. Power of Governor to promulgate Ordinances during recess of Legislative Assembly.—(1) If
at any time, except when the Legislative Assembly is in session, the Governor is satisfied that
circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action, he may promulgate such
Ordinance as the circumstances appear to him to require:
Provided that the Governor shall not without instructions from the President, promulgate any such
Ordinance, if—
(a) a Bill containing the same provisions would under the Constitution or this Act have required
the previous sanction of the President for the introduction thereof into the Legislative Assembly of
Meghalaya; or
(b) he would have deemed it necessary to reserve a Bill containing the same provisions for the
consideration of the President; or
(c) an Act of the Legislature of Meghalaya containing the same provisions would under this Act
have been invalid unless, having been reserved for the consideration of the President, it had received
the assent of the President:
Provided further that the Governor shall not, except on the advice of the Chief Minister of Assam,
promulgate any such Ordinance if with respect to a Bill containing the same provisions he would have
deemed it necessary under this Act to obtain the advice of the Chief Minister before assenting thereto.
(2) An Ordinance promulgated under this section shall have the same force and effect as an Act of the
Legislative Assembly assented to by the Governor, but every such Ordinance—
(a) shall be laid before Legislative Assembly and shall cease to operate at the expiration of six
weeks from the reassembly of the Legislative Assembly or if before the expiration of that period a
resolution disapproving it is passed by the Legislative Assembly, upon the passing of the resolution
and
(b) may be withdrawn at any time by the Governor.
(3) If and so far as an Ordinance under this section makes any provision which would not be valid if
enacted in an Act of the Legislature of Meghalaya assented to by the Governor, it shall be void:
Provided that—
(a) for the purposes of section 35 relating to the effect of an Act of the Legislature of Meghalaya
which is repugnant to an Act of Parliament or an existing law with respect to a matter enumerated in
the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, an Ordinance promulgated under this
section in pursuance of instructions from the President shall be deemed to be an Act of the Legislature
which has been reserved for the consideration of the President and assented to by him;
(b) for the purposes of section 36 relating to the effect of an Act of the Legislature of Meghalaya
which is repugnant to an Act of the Legislature of the State of Assam or an existing law with respect
to a matter enumerated in Part C of the Second Schedule, an Ordinance promulgated under this
section on the advice of the Chief Minister of Assam shall be deemed to be an Act of the Legislature
which has been assented to on the advice of the Chief Minister.