The Meghalaya Government has decided to ask Advocate General Amit Kumar not to appear in cases on behalf of the State Government for two weeks, in a bid to resolve the grievances raised by the Bar Association and end the ongoing agitation by lawyers. The decision was taken after a meeting with representatives of the Bar Association, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and attended by Law Minister Lahkmen Rymbui. The lawyers have been demanding the removal of the Advocate General over concerns relating to his functioning. Talking to media persons after the meeting, Rymbui said the discussions were cordial and the government had sought the association’s cooperation in withdrawing the agitation while it examined the issues raised by the legal fraternity.
“Talk was cordial, the government will ask the Advocate General not to appear for the state Government cases for two weeks, in one week we will again meet regarding all issues and related issues. We requested them to co-operate and withdraw the agitation,” Rymbui said. The Minister said the government would use the two-week period to examine the grievances concerning the functioning of the Advocate General and other related issues, while any decision concerning the constitutional post would have to be taken at the Cabinet level.
Rymbui said the Bar Association had earlier apprised him of its concerns, following which the government convened the meeting to discuss the matter directly. “Since this issue has to be taken into consideration, we felt that we should discuss it upfront. I had a meeting with the Bar Association and they mentioned all their grievances. I assured them that I would look into the matter, and in continuation of that, this meeting was called,” he said. He also urged the association to withdraw its pending communication and give the government adequate time to examine the issues.
The Bar Association, meanwhile, conveyed that it would place the government’s proposal before its members and take a decision accordingly. Rymbui said the government remained committed to addressing the grievances one at a time and stressed that the impasse could be resolved through dialogue rather than confrontation. “For me, I have committed to re-look into all aspects. We will do it in due course of time. We will solve the issues one at a time. It can be resolved through mutual dialogue and not through confrontation,” he added.
